HISTORY 



TOWN OF WARWICK, 



MASSACHUSETTS, 



From its First Settlement to 1854. 



BY 



HON. JONATHAN BLAKE. 



BROUGHT DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME BY OTHERS. 



IV/TJI A,V APPENDIX. 




BOSTON : 

NOYES, HOLMES, AND COMPANY, 

219 Washington Street. 

1873- 






^ r 



BOSTON : 

PRINTED BV RAND, AVERYi & CO., 

NO. 3, CORNHILL. 




PREFACE, 



nnHE following brief outline of the early history 
-*" of the town of Warwick, Mass., by the Hon. 
Jonathan Blake, was written about forty years ago, in 
183 1 and 1832. A small part of it has been written 
since that time. It was compiled from the most au- 
thentic records of the town, made at the time when the 
various transactions took place ; and it contains mat- 
ters of deep and thrilling interest to all the inhabit- 
ants, whether they be the regular descendants of the 
first inhabitants or not. All naturally wish to know 
something of the origin, character, and condition of 
the first settlers, ■^- of those who first opened their 
eyes on this beautiful landscape, this wild mountain 
scenery, this Switzerland of America ; and here 
pitched their tents, on these sloping hill-sides and 
in these winding valleys, beside the running streams, 
and babbling brooks, and quiet ponds, surrounded by 
the tall pines of the forest All wish to know some- 



4 PREFACE. 

thing of the hardy pioneers, who felled the giant trees, 
cleared up these cultivated fields, made these roads, 
built these walls, erected these houses, and did so 
much for the comfort and accommodation of the 
present inhabitants. . To all, then, who have come 
into possession of this goodly inheritance, it contains 
matters of great and absorbing interest, which ought 
to be preserved for future generations. Without any 
view to publication, it was written expressly for the 
Warwick Lyceum, before whom select portions of it 
were read, at different times, as lyceum lectures, 
to the great edification of the hearers. It was not 
designed to give a full or complete account even, of 
the early history of Warwick, but only so much of 
it as would be interesting to the members of the 
lyceum ; and even now it is not thought advisable 
by the publishing committee to enlarge upon this 
branch of the subject by attempting to supply what 
may have been omitted. 

From this brief outline, however, we have some- 
thing more than a glimpse, or a mere bird's-eye view, 
of our forefathers. We have a tolerably correct ac- 
count of their characters and habits, their spirit and 
enterprise, their sayings and doings, their joys and 
rejoicings, their trials and hardships, their privations 
and sufferings, and their noble devotion to the cause 
of education, religion, and good government. The 
work is now printed just as it was left by its ven- 



PREFACE. 5 

erated author, and transcribed by his brother, Samuel 
Blake, both of whom are now numbered with the 
sainted dead. 

The committee of publication were requested to 
write out and complete the history, so well begun by 
Mr. Blake, and to bring it down to the present time. 
This, at first, the committee thought could not be 
well done without making it appear like patchwork, 
— like new cloth on an old garment. But, after a 
little reflection upon the subject, they concluded to 
make the attempt, and to do the best they could to 
complete the work, and to make it match with the 
early history of the town. From the town-records 
and other authentic sources, they have collected all 
the facts and materials they have used in completing 
the work. With what success they have executed it, 
each one must judge for himself. Though the whole 
committee have given their general approbation to all 
that has been added, without being able to certify to 
the truth of every particular fact or statementj yet 
each member is particularly responsible for the 
articles which stand over the initials of his name. 

It is hoped the book will be acceptable to all. By 
all the n.itivcs of the town, whether living here or 
elsewhere, it will be regarded with high favor, as a 
kind of godsend, or heirloom, to remind them of their 
father and mothers, their brothers and sisters, their 
kindred and friends. And to all others it will show 



6 PREFACE. 

how strong, in the breasts of all the natives of War- 
wick, are the veneration and love of their birthplace, 
and the home of their childhood. What shrine is 
more sacred, what spot is more holy, than the place 
of one's nativity ? J. G. 

Warwick, March 4, 1872. 




INSTRUCTIONS TO THE COMMITTEE. 

Warwick, Dec. 26, 1871. 
At a meeting of the citizens of the town, held at the 
Centre Schoolhouse, for the purpose of considering the 
propriety of securing the publication of the Hon. Jonathan 
Blake's " History of Warwick," and of taking measures 
for the furtherance of said object, — 

Vofcd, and chose Hervey Barber, Chairman ; Edward F. 
Mayo, Secretary ; Hervey Barber, John Goldsbury, Nahum 
Jones, S. P. French, and E. F. Mayo, a Committee to take 
the matter into consideration, and adopt such measures 
as they may deem expedient to accomplish the purpose. 

Vott'dj To adjourn to the call of the committee. 

yan. 3, 1872. — The committee met according to ap- 
pointment, and passed the following measures as necessary 
for the purpose of accomplishing the trust committed to 
their charge : — 

Resolved, That it is the sense of this committee that 
Blake's " History of Warwick " be brought down to the 
present time. 

Voted, That the Rev. John Goldsbury and Deacon Her- 
vey Barber be requested to take the matter in charge, bring 
the work down to the present time, and prepare the same 
for publication. 

Voted, To adjourn without day. 

Edward F. Mayo, 

Secretary. 



8 INSTRUCTIONS TO THE COMMITTEE. 

Article 19th of the Annual March Meeting was as fol- 
lows : To see if the town will take any action in regard to 
the publication of Blake's " History of Warwick," and 
appropriate money for the same. 

March 4, 1872, on Article 19th, Voted^ That the com- 
mittee be authorized to borrow money for the purpose. 

A. S. Atherton", 

Town Clerk. 








HISTORY OF WARWICK, MASS. 



THERE is a trait inherent in the character of 
man which is common to us all, — every one 
more or less feels its influence ; and that is a wish and 
a desire to look into futurity, — to see and to know 
what is laid up for us in the vast storehouse (if I may 
be allowed the expression) of coming events. And 
equally curious, and equally careful, are we all to 
explore the past, to investigate, to search out, from 
whence we came, and where we originated. The 
creation of the vv^orld, the creation of man and 
every living thing that exists, whether material or 
immaterial, are the constant subjects of our inquiry. 
And it is just the same with regard to inanimate 
nature : the busy and inquisitive mind of man, with 
eagerness and assiduity, searches out the past, the 
present, and the future ; and, where the faithful page 
of history is wanting, conjecture and imagination 

Note. — This was written for the amusement and information of 
the Warwick Lyceum, at several different times, in 183 1 and 1832, by 
Jonathan Blake, jun. CoiDied from the original manuscript by Samuel 
Blake. 



10 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

supply the deficiency. With what an intense interest 
do we seek and inquire after the ruins of Pompeii, 
buried for such a lapse of ages from human inspection 
by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, that the memorial 
of the transaction was almost lost to the world ! The 
meanest articles of domestic use that were in vogue 
in those ancient times are more valued by us, and 
excite greater admiration, than the most costly furni- 
ture in modern use. The brilliant and successful 
achievements of Champollion in deciphering the 
hieroglyphics on the monuments and temples, and in 
the tombs, of Egypt, excite our wonder, and fill us 
with surprise ; and we catch at every word and sen- 
tence that will throw light on the history of centuries 
that have long since rolled away. 

The first settlement of this country by Europeans 
has now become interesting by the lapse of only about 
two hundred years ; and we lament the inattention and 
neglect of our forefathers in not recording the facts 
and circumstances of the times in which they lived : 
many events are already lost to the present age and 
to posterity forever. But let us rescue from oblivion 
what now remains : let us faithfully record every thing 
that our fathers have done within our knowledge, and 
hand it down to our children. They will be grate- 
ful, they will feel thankful, for the historical legacy 
bequeathed to them by those that have gone before 
them. The uncivilized natives of this country have 
set us an example : they hand down from father to 
son what we can more accurately and more faithfully 
preserve by our superior knowledge, and acquaintance 
with letters. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. II 

The theme of our inquiry now is the history of 
Warwick ; and, although but sixty-eight years have 
passed away since it was incorporated as a town, 
many of us could give but a very imperfect account 
of the scenes that have transpired, and none of us 
can do justice to the subject. Scarcely three ages 
have elapsed since this spot * on which we are now 
convened, and all the adjacent hills and dales, were a 
howling wilderness, — no trace of improvement, not a 
vestige of the works of art, not a lonely cultivated 
field, not a solitary dwelling for civilized man ; 
but, on the contrary, the whole surrounding country 
was covered, far and wide, with an almost impene- 
trable and illimitable forest. The mind unaccustomed 
to reflection, and unacquainted with woods and wilds, 
can have but a faint idea of the solitude and gloom of 
a boundless wilderness ; and those that reflect and 
consider, and fancy to themselves that they can realize 
how it looked, how it appeared, and how it was, 
here "in olden time," may all be mistaken. A sullen 
gloom, a death-like silence, pervaded the land. Now 
and then, perhaps, a wandering native might traverse 
these iron-bound hills in the pursuit of game, or in 
quest of his enemies. But the prowling beasts of 
prey and the feathered tribe^ were the only permanent 
settlers in these then desolate regions. But, gloomy 
and silent and desolate as it was, it was destined by 
the great Author of our existence to be the residence 
of man ; and, had it not been a wilderness covered with 
timber, man could not have subsisted here. We are 

* The schoolhouse on the common, in the middle of the town. 



12 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

indebted to this wonderful display of Infinite wisdom 
for all the means of enjoyment, and all the various 
blessings, which we now enjoy. In an inland country 
like ours, where, nearly one-half of the year, the water 
is congealed to ice, and the ground covered with snow, 
the ingenuity of man has not yet discovered the means 
of sustaining human beings without the aid of wood 
and timber ; and at this moment, had not wood and 
timber been found here, these mountains and hills 
and plains would have been as devoid of the habita- 
tions of man as the arid and scorched plains of Africa, 
or the vast and extensive wastes in the open country 
beyond the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains. 

But to return to the subjact. In the year 1735,. 
June 10, "at a great and general court or assembly 
for his Majestie's Province in the Massachusetts Bay," 
in answer to the petitions of Samuel Newall, Thomas 
Tileston, Samuel Gallop, and Abraham Tilton, and 
others in connection with each of them, the said court 
voted " that four several tracts of land for townships, 
each of the content of six miles square, be laid out in 
suitable places in the western parts of this province ; 
and that the whole of each town be laid out into sixty- 
three equal shares, one share of which to be for the 
first settled minister, one for the use of the ministry, 
and one for schools ; and that, on the other sixty shares 
in each town, there be sixty settlers admitted, and, in 
the admission thereof, preference to be given to the 
petitioners, and such as are the descendants of the 
officers and souldiers who served in the expedition to 
Canada, in the year 1690" (viz., one of the said town- 
ships to each of the aforesaid persons, with such others 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 13 

as joined with them in the petitions) ; " and in case 
tliere be not a sufficient number named in tlic said 
four petitions as were either officers or souldiers in the 
said expedition, or the descendants of such as were lost, 
or are since deceased, so as to make sixty settlers for 
each town, that then such others as were in the expe- 
dition, or their descendants, be admitted settlers there, 
until sixty persons in each township be admitted ; and 
inasmuch as the officers and souldiers in that expedition 
were very great sufferers, and underwent uncommon 
hardships, Voted, That this Province be at the sole 
charge of laying (out) the said four townships, and of 
admitting the settlers. That the settlers or grantees 
be, and hereby are, obliged to bring forward the set- 
tlements of the said four townships in as regular and 
defencible a manner as the situation and circumstances 
will admit of, — and that in the following manner 
(viz.) : that they be on the granted premises respec- 
tively, and have each of them an house eighteen feet 
square, and seven feet stud, at the least ; that each 
right or grant have six acres of land brought to, and 
ploughed or brought to English grass, and fitted for 
mowing ; that they respectively settle in each planta- 
tion or township a learned orthodox minister, and 
build a convenient meeting-house for the public 
worship of God in each township." 

These conditions to be complied with within five 
years from the confirmation of the Platts. Com- 
mittees were appointed to lay out the aforesaid grants ; 
and bonds were required of each settler, under the 
penalty of twenty pounds running to the treasurer 
of the Province ; and if the grantees, or any of the 



14 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



grantees, fail of fulfilling the terms aforesaid, they 
forfeited all their title back to the Province. 

Warwick was one of these four grants, and the one 
petitioned for by Samuel Newall and others ; and it 
was at first called the plantation of " Roxbury, or 
Gardner s Canada!' 

In June, 1736, Samuel Newall, and the officers and 
soldiers in the company, under the command of Capt. 
Andrew Gardner in the Canada expedition, were 
authorized by the General Court to call their first 
meeting of the proprietors. Said meeting was held 
at the house of James Jarvis, in Roxbury, Sept. 22, 
1736. Capt. Robert Sharp was chosen moderator, 
and William Dudley, Esq., proprietors' clerk. 

At this meeting, a committee, consisting of Capt. 
Robert Sharp, Ensign Samuel Davis, and Mr. Ger- 
shom Davis, was chosen to procure a surveyor, and 
lay out the " home lots." Each lot to contain not 
less than fifty acres, nor more than sixty acres ; 
and each proprietor was taxed twenty-three shillings 
to defray the expense of laying out said lots, and 
paying the costs incurred in petitioning the court, 
&c. 

It is not now known at what time these home lots 
were laid out ; but by the proprietors' records, on the 
24th of October, 1737, the sixty proprietors by name 
drew for their respective lots, and paid twenty shillings 
each to defray the expense. The home lots, as they 
are called, began to be numbered in the south-west 
part of the town, and were laid one hundred and sixty 
rods long, and fifty rods wide. Mr. Henry Fuller 
owns the largest part of lot No. i ; and the stones 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



15 



are now visible where they built their first camp, 
previous to surveying these lots. 

These lots continue on to the north part of Chestnut 
Hill ; then several of them were located south of the 
meeting-house, where Mr. Elijah Fisk now lives ; then 
north of the meeting-house, and over the hill to 
Medad Pomroy's ; then, beginning at Mr. James Ball's, 
they continue on to near the north .line of the town. 

Thus you see that they selected the hills, or high 
ridges of land, for the first settlements ; and this is 
one reason why almost all our roads were located over 
the hills, instead of passing through the valleys. 

The boundaries of Warwick, as it was originally 
laid out, were as follows : on the west line by North- 
field, six miles and thirty-eight rods ; then on Erving's 
Grant, two miles and thirty-nine rods ; making whole 
west line eight miles and seventy-seven rods. North, 
on the line of New Hampshire, four miles and ninety- 
eiffht rods on the town of Winchester, and two miles 
and forty-two rods on the town of Richmond ; making 
the whole north line six miles and one hundred and 
forty rods (it was originally called Arlington and 
Province land, north). East, on Province land (now 
Royalston) and Pequeag (Athol), on Province land 
six miles and thirty rods ; * thence, west one hundred 
and seventy-nine rods to the north-west corner of 
Pequeag ; thence, south two hundred and fifty-six rods 
to a heap of stones on the west line of Pequeag, and 
to a small maple-tree south on Erving's Grant, four 
miles and two hundred and sixty-five rods. 

* Allowing one rod in thirty for sag of chain, as the old records say 
was customary. 



l6 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

The west and north boundaries of Warwick con- 
tinue the same as originally laid out ; but when the 
town of Orange was incorporated, which took oft' the 
south-east corner, it left the east line on Royalston 
three miles and one hundred and two rods ; the south 
line, two miles and OTie hundred and eighteen rods ; 
and the south-east is a zig-zag line, measuring five 
miles and three hundred and sixteen rods on the town 
of Orange. 

It contained twenty-three thousand acres of Innd, 
exclusive of the Great Farm (so called), which was a 
grant previously made of sixteen hundred acres to one 
Johnson and his company, for military services ; and is 
the land that Mr. Aaron Bass, Samuel Williams, Par- 
ley Leland, Samuel Fay, Samuel Moore, and others, 
now own ; and also exclusive of the Severance and 
Field Farms. The Severance Farm contained two 
hundred acres, on which Jonathan Blake, and Jona- 
than Blake, jun., Bunyan Penniman, Asa Ware, and 
Stephen Ball, now live, and each of them owns a part 
of it. It is a traditional story, that it was granted as 
a reward for the faithful services of the surveyor who 
laid out this part of the country, and that he had his 
choice to select where he pleased. The Field Farm 
never belonged to Warwick, but made a notch in the 
south-east corner. It contained four hundred acres ; 
and Deacon Ward and Jessie Warrick now live on a 
part of it. 

Late in the fall of 1737, a second division of lots 
was laid out under the direction of a committee, con- 
sisting of Deacon Davis and Ebenezer Case, who 
were empowered " to agree with one or more survey- 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



17 



ors and chain-men and pilots." These second-division 
lots were called farms, and were to contain one hun- 
dred and fifty acres each, if the land would hold out : 
and the surveyors were directed to qualify them ; 
viz , to lay them out according to the quality of 
the land, — the poorest land into the largest lots, and 
the best into smaller ones, so as to have them valued 
alike. This is the reason why the second-division 
lots are so unequal in size, varying from one to two 
hundred acres : for instance, on " Beech Hill" the old 
original lots contain but about one hundred acres 
each, that being considered the best of the land ; 
while the broken lots contain nearly or quite two 
hundred. 

I have had occasion to mention sectional and local 
names in different parts of the town, some of which 
remain, while others are lost or forgotten. It may 
not be amiss to state these names for the information 
of those that may come after us, with the origin, or 
probable origin, of the same. " Beech Hill," above 
mentioned, lies in the east part of the town, where 
Mr. Abijah Eddy and Mr. Calvin Allen now live ;• 
and the name originated from the large and un- 
common growth of beech timber it formerly contained. 
"Chestnut Hill" was so named for the same reason, 
the chestnut-trees being the most common growth. 
It is located in the south-west part of the town, where 
the Messrs. Francis and Jonas Leonard, Joseph Wil- 
son, and Capt. William Burnett, a nd others, now reside. 
" Flour iTill " is in the north part of the town, where 
Messrs. Phinehas Child, John Bowman, and others, 
live. It is said this name originated from the follow- 



1 8 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

ing circumstance : The inhabitants that first settled 
this part of the town were in the habit of annually 
setting fire to the woods in the spring of the year, for 
tne purpose of producing a young and tender growth 
of trees and plants for the subsistence of their cattle, 
not having pastures cleared up as we now have. Each 
one would put a bell upon the leader of his flock or 
herd or horse, for the purpose of finding them readily 
when wanted. Within my own recollection, the hills 
to the west of us were burned over every year for the 
purpose above stated ; and the illumination occasioned 
thereby, for several successive nights, will probably 
never be effaced from my memory. This practice had 
almost destroyed the first growth of timber on the 
spot last mentioned, and the land was considered of 
very little value. Mr. Solomon Ager, who at that 
time was not considered a prophet nor the son of a 
prophet, had the hardihood to risk his all (as he had 
nothing to lose) by settling on this open tract of land. 
Some of his wiser neighbors attempting to ridicule 
him for selecting so barren a spot of land to get his 
living on, the old man replied, that "it would one 
day be the Flour of Warwick ; " and ever after it has 
been called " Flour Hill." 

The east part of the town towards Royalston, 
where Deacon Ebenezer Stearns, Mr. James Pierce, 
and others, live, probably from its being so rough and 
uneven, has sarcastically been called " Moose Plain." 
The north part of the town, where Messrs. Elisha 
Rich, David Ball, Amory Gale, and Justus Russell, 
Esqs., reside, is called " the Brook," originating from the 
stream of water that takes its rise near the middle of 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



19 



the town, and empties into the Ashuelot River, at 
Winchester, N.H., being called " Miry Brook." In 
the south part of the town, the land lying south of 
Morse's Pond was formerly called " Skunks Baron : " 
farther south, where Jonathan Shepardson lives, was 
called '' Padanaram." The first name originated from 
the sterility of the soil, and the last from its being a 
plain, level spot. What is now the south-east corner 
of the town, where Messrs. Reuben Wheaton and 
Andrew Burnett live, was called " Peaked End," from 
the circumstance of there being no settled spot near 
them, they being considered the end of the settle- 
ment. 

The two natural ponds obtained their names from 
the owners of the soil near them ; viz., " Pomeroy's 
Pond," near the centre of the town, and Morse's 
Pond," a little farther to the south-west. The moun- 
tain near the middle of the town was called " Mount 
Grace," in consequence of a child of Mrs. Rowland- 
son's, whose name was " Grace," being buried some- 
where near the foot of it. Mrs. Rowlandson, with her 
child, was taken captive by the Indians at Lancaster 
when that town was destroyed and sacked and burned. 
After the destruction of the town, the Indians pro- 
ceeded on towards Canada with their captives ; and 
this child died soon after they crossed " Miller's River," 
ten miles from Warwick ; and Mrs. Rowlandson 
brought it in her arms, until she arrived near this 
mountain, where, compelled by fatigue, she reluctantly 
consigned it to the earth.* 

* This was an early tradition, and then believed to be true ; but it 
is not authenticated in Mrs. Rowlandson's history of her captivit)-. 



20 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

The brook that takes its rise near the west side of 
this mountain is also called " Grace Brook," until it 
reaches " Morse's Pond ; " and then it takes the name 
of " Morse's Brook." .The brook that runs near Wil- 
liam Hastings, James Ball, and through Caleb Mayo, 
Esq.'s, meadow, was formerly called " Black Brook : " 
farther south it takes the name of " Scott's Brook." 
The brook that runs near James Pierce's house is 
called " Tully Brook : " the name is derived from Tully 
River, this brook being the source of West Tully, as 
it is called ; and East and West Tully unite, and empty 
into Miller's River, in Athol. The north-east part of 
Warwick, through wlncn tnis brook passes, is called 
the " Kelton Corner." The name was derived from 
this circumstance : one Mr. Enoch Kelton, an early 
settler in the town, located himself on the spot wdiere 
Peter Sandin now lives, and afterwards settled four or 
five of his sons around him, and lived in this patri- 
archal manner a considerable number of years. 

Mr. Kelton was a land-surveyor: although his ac-. 
quired attainments were rather limited, he was a good 
practical workman ; the monuments that he erected 
bear ample testimony to that fact, even up to the 
present time. 

His family afflictions, in one instance in particu- 
lar, were uncommonly severe : his wife, for fifty long 
years before her death, was confined day and night to 
her bed. 

The north-east lobe of Mount Grace has been 
called by a local name : one of the first settlers, Mr, 
Samuel Bennett, set down on home-lot No. 40. This 
lot lies on the side hill, east of the brook, sloping 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 21 

towards Mount Grace, below Abijah Fisher's house : 
the remains of the cellar, and a few ajj pie-trees, are 
still witnesses of the exact spot. This Mr. Bennett 
said that one morning, as he stood in his door (which, 
by the way, faced this part of the mountain), he dis- 
covered a deer bounding along on the top of the 
Knob : he said he stepped back, and took down his 
gun, and fired, " and dropped the buck dead on the 
spot." His incredulous neighbors, amused with the 
idea of his killing a deeracross the deep ravine, more 
than half a mile wide, that intervened between his 
house and the top of the hill in question, ever after- 
wards called it " Bennett's Knob." 

This same Mr. Bennett and wife afterwards lived 
where Mr. Aaron Bass now lives ; and Mrs. Bennett 
related a story, that, perhaps, is a little colored with the 
marvellous. The dwellings in those days were not 
exactly as they are at the present. Many of them 
were built with logs ; and those that were framed, as 
well as those of logs, generally were, one end of them, 
principally occupied by the chimney, a huge mass of 
stones piled up as a back for the fireplace ; and not 
unfrec|uently all that could be called a chimney was 
a hole in the top of the house to let out the smoke. 
Eight or ten feet was a fireplace of moderate size in 
those days ; and some actually used a horse to haul in 
their back-logs. The house that our good old progen- 
itors lived in was not out of the fashion. The stones 
of the chimney on either side, however, were not 
exactly fitted to the wooden part of the building, or 
they had settled away, so that there was a large crack 
at the side of the jambs, where they could see out. 



22 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Our heroine said she was sitting one evening, 
spinning on a foot-wheel, and, happening to look round 
to the side of" the fire-place, she saw a bear looking in 
at the crack, — she plainly saiv his eyes glisten. Bruin, 
after satisfying his curiosity, cleared for the woods. 

I have a story to relate of the temerity of one of 
our first settlers. It was Mr. David Gale, father of 
the present David Gale, sen. : as he was chopping in 
the woods, near where the present David Gale now 
lives, with his son, a small lad, he discovered a mon- 
strous animal in the woods ; it was unlike any crea- 
ture he had before seen. The wild beast, on being dis- 
covered, had immediate recourse to the top of a tree. 
Mr. Gale, as if unconscious of danger, left his little 
boy to watch the motions of the ferocious animal, 
with a charge to keep him on the tree : he went to his 
house, loaded his gun, returned to the place, and shot 
the animal, which proved to be nothing less than a 
full-grown catamount ; and that was the only one 
that was ever killed in Warwick. 



1738. 

In the year 1738 a committee of the proprietors 
was appointed to find out the nearest route from Rox- 
bury to this new tract of country ; and a vote was 
passed, taxing each of the sixty proprietors, to raise 
the sum of six pounds apiece, as a bounty to encour- 
age the first ten proprietors that shall settle, and 
comply with the conditions before mentioned by 
actually moving on, and building a house, &c. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



1740. 



23 



In 1740 Deacon Davis was empowered to mark 
out a way through Pequeage (now Athol), and the 
said plantation, to Northfield. It is not now known 
exactly where this way was cleared out ; but it is conjec- 
tured that it passed through the easterly and northerly 
part of the town, and went into Northfield, near 
where the old North-county road was afterwards laid. 

The old records are silent, as to the proceedings of 
the proprietors of this new town, for about eight years ; 
but it may be inferred from the prior proceedings, that 
Jjie inducements to commence the settlement were not 
sufficient to allure the wealthy on the one hand, or to 
enable the poor on the other, to transport themselves 
and their families to this then unbroken forest, without 
roads, without means of conveyance, and without any 
thins: to subsist on after their arrival. 



1749. 

In the year 1749 the bounty was increased to twen- 
ty pounds to each individual, as an inducement to 
settle, — ten pounds in advance, five pounds in one 
year, and five pounds more in two years after settle- 
ment. 

1751- 

In this year the proprietors voted to make up the 
bounty to . thirty pounds (old tenor), or the value 
thereof in silver. 



24 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



175. 



This year fifty pounds was voted to defray the 
expense of building a sawmill ; and a spot was to be 
selected where it would accommodate the proprietors; 
and, at a meeting of the proprietors of " Gardner's 
Canada" (as this settlement was still called), it was 
voted, " to choose a committee to lay out and clear a 
road to Pequeage near the pond, south-eastwardly from 
the way proposed and marked to be laid out towards 
Royalston from Pequeage to the sawmill ; and to come 
into the way marked out to go from Royalshire to 
Northfield." And they chose a committee to clear 
out said road. It was also voted that the committee 
for building the meeting-house be desired to proceed 
to accomplish that business : said house to be thirty- 
five feet long, and thirty feet wide, with nineteen-foot 
posts. 

Said committee was also directed to appoint the spot 
where the meeting-house was to stand. The place 
selected by this committee to build said house on, 
and where the timber was collected and framed, was 
about forty or fifty rods south of Mr, Elijah Fisk's 
house ; and it was subsequently moved and raised 
near where the present meeting-house now stands, for 
reasons hereafter to be related. 



1754- 

On the 7th of August this year, the committee for 
building made a report that Mr. Mason and Mr. Perry 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 25 

were willing- to undertake said building, agreeable to 
the proposed dimensions, for twenty-six pounds, 
thirteen shillings, and fourpence, the proprietors to 
defray the expense of procuring the slitwork on the 
spot ; and the said carpenters would make the said 
frame good, and in all respects workmanlike, and have 
it ready to raise by the first day of October next ; or 
they would work by the day, and get it done by that 
time, at four shillings per day. It was voted by the 
proprietors that they should do it by the " great " for 
the sum proposed, the committee to defray the expense 
of the raising entertainment. 



1755- 

The committee for building the sawmill reported, 
on the 5th of March, that Mr. Ebenezer Locke, who 
had undertaken to build the mill in said township, 
informed them that some time in September last he 
had been at said township in order to finish said mill, 
and thought he should have finished the work in a 
little time ; but some of the inhabitants of Northfield 
had advised him to leave the place if he had any 
regard for his life ; for the Indians ha.d done mis- 
chief in No. 4.* and in divers other places ; and he 
had left it unfinished. The committee that was ap- 
pointed to superintend the building of the meeting- 
house also reported that the contractors had not 
performed their work ; but had " only cut ten or twenty 
trees towards the frame." After considerable delay 

* Now Charlestown, N.H. 



26 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and perplexity about the business, and several times 
lengthening the contract (or the time for performing 
the conditions of it), it was reported that the frame of 
the meeting-house was ready to be raised, but that a 
dispute had arisen as to the spot where it should 
stand. 

1756. 

On the loth of March this year, it was A'oted to 
alter the spot where the meeting-house should stand, 
and fix it not exceeding one hundred and sixty rods 
to the north-east, where the road from Royalshire to 
Northfield was intersected by the road to the Pond. 
The meeting-house was raised by invitation of hands 
from Northfield and the adjacent settlements, on the 
twenty-eighth day of April, 1756. 

In September this year, the proprietors having pre- 
viously agreed to prosecute Ebenezer Locke on his 
•bond for not erecting the sawmill, agreed to suspend 
the same on hearing his excuse. He stated that he 
had been retarded by reason of the war, and driven off, 
when at work on the premises, by the enemy's ap- 
proaching near said township, and killing divers 
persons, and capturing others ; and afterwards, when 
he had been at the charge to get up to the work for 
the aforesaid purpose, the enemy made one other 
sally, and had killed Grout, Howe, and Garfield, and 
carried others into captivity. Sickness in his family, 
and burying his daughter, are among his excuses, and 
also having his men enlisted into his Majesty's ser- 
vice. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK, 27 

We can have but a very faint idea of the sufferings 
and hardships which our predecessors endured in 
their first attempt to settle this part of the country : 
the lurking, savage foe, at all times on the alert, ready 
to take them by surprise, to kill them, and to destroy 
the labor of their hands ; the wild beasts to haunt 
around their dwellings, and to tear and mangle their 
unguarded flocks ; the scanty means of procuring a 
subsistence, — hunger, poverty, and want staring them 
full in the face. It needed hearts of oak to success- 
fully repel these varied buffetings of fortune ; and 
hearts of oak they verily had. How would many ot 
the puny sons of indolence and ease at the present 
day have conducted, had they been placed under such 
trying circumstances .'' They would have given up 
the ghost in a strange land. 

1757- 

On the sixth day of July, this year, eight pounds 
was voted to be allowed out of the treasury of the 
proprietors, " to fortify Mr. Samuel Scott's house, by 
making a good picketed fort encompassing the same, 
four rods square, for the safety of the inhabitants." 
This fort, which was the only one ever built in War- 
wick, was on land now owned by the Rev. John Golds- 
bury, and lies on the north side of the road that 
leads from Widow Jerusha Goldsbury's to William 
Hastings's ; and from this circumstance this piece of 
land has obtained the name of the " Old Fort," or the 
Fort Lot. The proprietors also voted four pounds to 
enclose the meeting-house. 



28 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



1759- 



Although four pounds was voted in 1757 to en- 
close the meeting-house, the frame was still standing 
at this date uncovered. But the sawmill, according to 
the old records, " was got a-going," so that the first 
sawmill that started in this town was set a-going 
seventy-two years ago. In May, this year, twenty-six 
pounds, thirteen shillings, and four pence was voted 
by the proprietors to build a gristmill ; and a com- 
mittee, consisting of Col. Joseph Williams, Mr. Joseph 
Ma) o, and Mr. Samuel Scott, was chosen, " to pitch 
on a suitable spot to build it on." 

1760. 

On May 21, 1760, it was voted "to raise the sum 
of eighteen pounds, lawful money, to defray the 
charge of some suitable orthodox minister's preaching 
upon probation within said township during the sum- 
mer season : " and it is presumed that the Rev. Lem- 
uel Hedge was the candidate that preached here that 
summer ; for, on the 24th of September, they voted 
a hundred and forty-nine pounds, to be paid as 
follows : eighty pounds for Mr. Hedge's settlement, 
and sixty pounds for his first year's salary, and nine 
pounds for defraying the expense of his ordination. 

Thus you see that the institutions of religion and 
morality were not neglected by our predecessors. 
Although poor, and hard pressed in their temporal 
affairs, they cheerfully devoted a part of it for the 
promotion of Christianity ; for they further voted that 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 29 

they would agree to pay sixty pounds a year for fiv^e 
years to come, until some other suitable provision for 
Mr. Hedge's support should be made, provided he 
settled with them. A committee was chosen, consisting 
of Capt. David Ayres, Moses Evans, Israel Olmstead, 
Hbenezer Prescott, and Amzi Doolittle, " to treat with 
Mr. Hedge respecting his settlement here." At the 
same meeting they chose the same committee, with 
the addition of Mr. Joshua Bailey, to lay out a tract 
of land forty rods square around the meeting-house 
in said township, for a burying-place, training-field, 
and other public uses. This tract is what we now 
call the coniiiiou, and contains ten acres of land : the 
name doubtless originated from its being laid out of 
what was then called common land ; viz., lands not 
surveyed and divided among the sixty original proprie- 
tors. Thus, without detriment to themselves, or any 
sacrifice of property to be by them felt at the time, 
they secured to the public a small patrimony, to be 
enjoyed by us and all succeeding generations that 
may come after us. And further still, for the accom- 
modation of their minister, provided he settled with 
them, they voted that he might have the liberty to lay 
out a hundred acres of land near the meeting-house, 
in one piece, out of any of the common lands, to be 
laid in regular form, in lieu of the hundred acres in 
the after-division (or second division) of land, that 
would fall to the minister's right. Subsequently the 
hundred acres where Mr. Stephen Reed now lives 
were laid out to Mr. Hedge. Messrs. James Golds- 
bury, Asa Wheeler, Rev. Preserved Smith (our present 
pastor), William Cobb, Esq., Col. Lemuel Wheelock, 



30 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and Samuel P. Damon, are all of them located on 
this hundred-acre lot, although it runs southerly to 
Pomeroy's Pond. The committee chosen to treat 
with Mr. Hedge respecting his settlement here in the 
gospel ministry no doubt performed their duty ; for 
we find by the old records Mr. Hedge's answer to 
their call, as follows : — 



To the Commiilce of the Proprietors of Roxbury Canada {^so 
called) c/iosen to treat ivith me respecting my settling in said 
township. 

Gentlemen, — Whereas the proprietors of Roxbury 
Canada (so called), at their meeting on the 24th of 
September, 1760, voted certain sums of money for a settle- 
ment and salary, and likewise granted me liberty of laying 
out one hundred acres of land near the meeting-house in 
said place (as per their vote may appear), in case I would 
settle there in the work of the gospel ministry, and tlie in- 
habitants of said township having by subscription made an 
addition to my settlement, and engage to find me annually 
thirty-five cords of wood, I have taken the matter into 
serious consideraton, and hereby inform you that I accept 
of this invitation to settle in tliis place. 

Lemuel Hedge. 

1761. 

On Nov. 12, of this year, the proprietors were for 
the first time notified to meet in the meeting-house, 
in said township, to transact their business paving 
always met in Roxbury before this time). There 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



31 



were at that time thirty-seven settlers or families 
located on the first division of lots. Mr. Joseph Perry 
lived where Mr. Joseph Willson now lives ; George 
Robbins where Alexander Blake, Ebenezer Davis 
where the widow Drake, Edward Allen where Capt. 
John Stearns, Thomas Rich where Medad Pomeroy, 
Barnabas Russell where James Ball, Moses Leonard 
where Eliphaz Gould, and David Ayres and David 
Ayres, jun., where Miss Fanny Simonds now lives. 

About this time a gristmill was built on Black 
Brook, where the first sawmill also stood : the land is 
now owned by Capt. James Goldsbury ; and said mills 
stood a little west of William Hastings's dwelling- 
house, south of the road that leads to Samuel Golds- 
bury's from said Plastings's. In this early stage of 
the settlement, and until the gristmill was built, the 
hardy and industrious ^^ forlorn Iiope''' of Warwick suf- 
fered severely for the want of accommodations which 
we now enjoy : they 'were obliged to go a great dis- 
tance out of the settlement to get their grain ground ; 
and perhaps many times that was not the worst part 
of it, for many of them were poor, and had but little 
grain to grind. It was frec^uently the case that they 
had to go miles on foot to Northfield, or Athol, or 
farther still, to buy a peck of corn and get it ground, 
and then to bring it home on their backs. Nor was 
this all ; for there were instances of their going to 
Northfield to buy hay, and bringing it home in the 
same way, to save their cattle alive. It was thought 
in those days, that, if their hay lasted until the ist 
of March, they could get their cattle through the 
winter. 



-,2 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Seventy-two pounds was voted, this year, to finish 
the meeting-house ; and it was agreed to build a pew 
on one side or the other of the pulpit, for Mr. Hedge, 
he being permitted to choose the side. 

To show how valuable the land was in this town 
at this time, it appears that lot No. 7, and all the after- 
rights in said town, was sold at auction for^^j. 5i-. Sd., 
which was only about four cents and three mills per 
acre ; but such sales were of rare occurrence, and 
perhaps were never known after. 

Messrs. Elisha Rich, George Robbins, James Ball, 
and Asa Robbins were chosen a committee to lay out 
the common lands in said township into two divisions, 
the first to contain seventy-five acre lots, and the 
other to be left discretionary with the committee ; and 
they accordingly laid out the last into sixty-six acre 
lots. These two divisions constitute what we call the 
third and fourth divisions of lands in this town. The 
third-division lots contain seventy-five acres, and the 
fourth sixty-six acres, each. 

1762. 

On the twenty-seventh day of December, 1762, it 
was voted that the proprietors join with the inhabit- 
ants of the plantation, to petition the General Court 
to be incorporated into a town. Col. Joseph Williams 
and Capt. Caleb Dana were chosen a committee to 
join with said inhabitants in the petition. 

1763. 

On the seventeenth day of February, 1763, this 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



33 



tract of country was incorporated by the General 
Court as a town, by the name of JVarzuick. 

How the name originated is not now known ; but 
probably from Warwick in England, or from the 
famous " Guy, Earl of Warwick." 

We have now arrived at the time, you will probably 
say, that I ought to have commenced my remarks, or 
where I might have begun with propriety the history 
of the town. From this period down to the present 
time we have a tolerably regular and legible record 
of most of the public proceedings of the town. I 
shall not follow the records, by noting every little 
local transaction that has happened in our public or 
private affairs, but shall select and abridge a few of 
the most interesting events, for our mutual instruc- 
tion, and for the benefit of posterity. 

When we wish to make an inquiry about, any par- 
ticular place or thing, the first question that suggests 
itself to our mind is, where, when, or how, did it 
happen or begin ? How, when, and where the muni- 
cipal proceedings of Warwick originated, shall be our 
first subject of inquiry. 

In the third year of his Majesty's reign, Seth Field, 
Esq., of Northfield, by order of the General Court, 
issued a warrant to James Ball of Warwick, to notify 
the inhabitants of said town to attentl the first town- 
meeting. Said meeting was directed to be warned 
by posting up a notification in some public place in 
said township, fourteen days before the time of hold- 
ing the same. This meeting was convened the ninth 
day of May, A.D. 1763, at nine o'clock in the morn- 
ing. Seth Field, Esq., acted as moderator ; James Ball 



34 



HISTORY OF \YARWICK. 



was chosen clerk ; Moses Evans, Jeduthan Morse, and 
James Ball, selectmen and assessors ; Amzi Doolittle, 
treasurer ; Samuel Ball, constable ; James Ball, col- 
lector ; Silas Town and Joshua Bailey, wardens ; 
Charles Wood and Joseph , tything-men ; Is- 
rael Olmsted and Moses Leonard, fence-viewers; 
Moses Leonard, Joseph Lawrence, and Joseph Good- 
ell, hog-reeves ; David Barrett, pound-keeper : Eben- 
ezer Davis, field-driver ; Amos Marsh and Moses 
Leonard, deer-reeves ; Moses Evans, culler of staves, 
shingles, and clapboards ; James Ball, sealer of 
weights and measures ; Moses Leonard, sealer of 
leather. It was voted that hogs may go at large on 
the common. 

On the 1 6th of June following, the second town- 
meeting was held ; and they voted to Esq. Paine 
twenty shillings for services at the General Court in 
getting the town incorporated ; and Mr. James Ball 
was to pay him the money, 'and return the town's 
thanks. Voted twenty pounds for highways, and 
started the work at four shillings per day for a man, 
and two shillings for a yoke of oxen, and one shilling 
for a cart or plough. They also voted that the select- 
men should draw a petition to the General Court, that 
the westerly part of the county of Worcester, and the 
easterly part of the county of Hampshire, may be set 
off, and erected into a distinct and separate county. 

At this meeting, the committee chosen for the pur- 
pose of treating with Mr. Hedge respecting his future 
support was directed to condense the proposals for- 
merly made into the form of an agreement, and to 
have it recorded on the town-book. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. ' 35 

Which agreement was as follows : viz., " That the 
town will pay to the Rev. Mr. Hedge a salary of sixty 
pounds until such time as there shall be eighty set- 
tled families in said town ; and the salary to rise as the 
families increase, allowing thirteen shillings and four- 
pence to each family : so that when there should be 
ninety settled families the salary would amount to 
sixty-six pounds, thirteen shillings, and fourpence ; 
and after that, allowing four shillings and fivepence 
to a family, when they had increased to one hundred 
and fifty families, his salary should be eighty pounds, 
to be paid in lawful silver money, at six shillings and 
eightpence per ounce ; and, annually, thirty cords of 
wood, cut eight feet longj delivered at his door." Mr. 
Hedge acknowledged these proposals handsome and 
generous, and put his signature to them July 4, 
1763. Nov. 28, the same year, James Ball, Israel 
Olmsted, and Silas Town were chosen a com- 
mittee to finish the meeting-house. June 15, this 
year, the selectmen laid out the first town-road (on 
record). They began at or near the line of Rich- 
mond, N.H., near where Mr. Caleb Weeks now lives, 
and laid said road southerly, by Thomas Mallard's, 
Dea. Samuel Ball's, and Capt. Josiah Proctor's, to Lot 
No. 51, in the second division, to Samuel Ball's house ; 
said road to be three rods wide ; and another road, two 
rods wide, by Moses Leonard's house (now Eliphaz 
Gould's) ; viz., within one rod of it, to the county- 
road. 

1764. 
May 30, of this year, there is a charge on the 



-,r. HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

town-book of fifteen shillings, for James Ball, Mr. 
Evans, and Mr. Nourse taking the invoice, and Mr. 
Morse making the highway-tax. We should think 
that this charge was not extravagant. This year the 
town accepted of a road, laid from the common, south- 
erly by Elijah Fisk's, and where Stephen Johnson 
lately lived, to Morse's Pond and Locke's Mills, where 
Mr. Francis Leonard's sawmill now is : said road to 
be three rods wide. Also a road beginning at the 
north-west corner of Benjamin Conant's house, which 
intersected the last-mentioned road near where Mr. 
Elijah Fisk now lives : this road was laid all the way 
on the top of the hill, west of the Widow Hannah 
Rich and Isaiah Bang's houses. Traces of this road 
are now visible in many places, almost directly on the 
ridge, south of Mr. Fisk's. Also another road, com- 
mencing where Mr. Jonas Leonard now lives, by Mr. 
Asa Ware's, to intersect the one that leads to Morse's 
Pond, at the Stephen Johnson place. No width 
si given to this road. 

1765. 

This year forty pounds was voted to be raised to 
repair highways ; and it was also voted that the select- 
men should take care of Elizabeth Rumble and her 
children, and . receive them as t02vns poor (these are 
the first paupers mentioned) ; and in November this 
year, the town granted ten pounds, eight shillings, to 
be proportioned on the inhabitants according to their 
invoice, to defray the expense of keeping said paupers 
. one year ; and that the inhabitants shall all have to 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 37 

keep said woman and her children their proportions 
of said rate. 

1766. 

Voted to choose five selectmen this year ; and chose 
Benjamin Conant, James Ball, Jeduthan Morse, Amos 
Marsh, and Amzi Doolittle ; and chose Jeduthan 
Morse, Ebenezer Curtis, and Amos Marsh, assessors ; 
raised forty pounds to support the highways, and 

voted two shillings to Asa , for keeping Sarah 

Rumble three weeks. The first three selectmen this 
year laid out a burying-ground, as follows : viz., " Be- 
ginning at the north-west corner of the meeting-house 
common, and extending east, on the north line, to a 
small hemlock-tree, marked for the north-east corner ; 
thence south, seven degrees east, to a black-oak-tree ; 
then due south, twelve rods, to a stake and stones ; 
thence west, to the west line of the common ; thence 
north, to the first-mentioned corner." 



1768. 

At a town-meeting convened at the meeting-house, 
March 7, the town voted ten pounds to support a 
school some part of the year. It was then proposed 
to the town, whether they would have a moving 
school ? and it was voted in the affirmative : also 
voted to have a school kept December, January, and 
February, by a master ; and the remainder of the ten 
pounds to pay a mistress to keep school in the sum- 
mer season ; and voted that the selectmen employ a 



38 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

master and mistress, and appoint the school wards, or 
places, where the schools shall be kept. 

This is the first account that we have of a school 
being kept at the expense of the town, and, we pre- 
sume, the first attempt to district the town. In June 
following, a town-meeting was called, to see if the 
town would sell a school-lot, and to give the selectmen 
instructions concerning a woman's school : and they 
voted that Mrs. Hannah Rawson be employed to keep 
school ; and they further voted, that, if the major part 
of the quarter where she lived objected against her 
keeping, the selectmen should dismiss her ; or, if the 
selectmen found any material objection against her, 
they should dismiss her ; and she is to have four shil- 
lings and six pence per week for the time she keeps, 
her father findins: her board. 



1769. 

In 1769, ten pounds was raised for schooling, and 
the selectmen clothed with the same authority as last 
year, — hiring, districting, &c. 



1770 AND 71. 

In 1 77 1, the town voted twelve pounds for school- 
ing, and sixty pounds to be worked out on the roads. 

In the year 1770, the proprietors chose a commit- 
tee, consisting of James Ball, Nathan Goddard, and 
Samuel Williams, to lay out the fifth and last division 
of lands in Warwick. They employed a surveyor by 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



39 



the name of Job Gilbert, and laid out sixty-two lols, 
containing a little over fourteen acres each. These 
lots were laid out of the several pieces of common 
land remaining in various forms in different parts ot 
the town. Where they began, they laid off as many 
lots as the piece would make, and the fraction that 
remained would be numbered, and acres enough taken 
off the next piece (of the same number) to make 
out the fourteen acres. They thus proceeded until 
they had surveyed off all the fragments of land in the 
town. This accounts for the parts of the fourtcen- 
acre lots being so scattered ; for instance, N. G. 
Stevens, jun., owns part of a lot adjoining Capt. Wil- 
liamBurnett's farm, containing five or six acre^ ; 
and the remainder of the lot lies south of Israel Fish- 
er's land. William Perry owns part of a lot south of 
his house, and the other part is not far from William 
Hastings's. There is a record of a vote of the old 
proprietors in 1769, in these words : — 

" Provided always, that it is the true intent and meaning 
of this proprietary, that all the several slips that were re- 
served for roads, between any or all of the first and second 
division of lands in said township, be and remain for the 
use of the inhabitants of said town from time to time, and at 
all times forever hereafter, for roads or highways ; and may 
be exchanged by said inhabitants, for other lands for roads 
more to the town's advantage." 

This maybe considered as a good title, or right and 
privilege to the public, that has been little regarded, 
and perhaps not generally known. After this last 
division was laid out, there remained one hundred and 



40 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

six acres of land to the original proprietors. It was 
voted to raise a tax of two dollars on each share, and 
give the town the one hundred and six acres of lantl, 
for them to finish off the meeting-house. The town 
declined the accepting of the offer of the land, as Fran- 
cis Nourse and Josiah Rawson had laid claim to and 
entered upon said land.* 

Nothing of particular importance is found on the 
town records for several years ; but we are now ap- 
proaching a crisis full of interest and big with events ; 
and future generations will look back with astonish- 
ment, reverence, and awe at the mighty deeds and 
the powerful exertions of the generations that have 
immediately preceded us. To this generation, under 
the blessing of God, we are indebted for all the civil 
privileges we now enjoy. And not only we, but the 
whole human race, may commemorate this era as the 
first dawning of the light of liberty. 

Here, in this new world, in this then thinly-popu- 
lated country, just emerging into political life; were 
nursed and cherished the first pure principles of civil 
and religious freedom. Who of us can restrain our 
feelings .'' Who can stifle the flame of gratitude that 
bursts involuntarily from the sacred depositories of 
our hearts .'* Who that has the spirit and mind of a free- 
man can undervalue these privileges, and not recipro- 
cate and rejoice with every tru^ defender of his coun- 
try, every worshipper of his God .'' 

At the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, the 
inhabitants of this town were not a whit behind their 

* This was the last vote on record of the doings of the old pro- 
prietors. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



41 



neighbors in principle or practice : the same spirit of 
liberty that echoed throughout New England re- 
sponded from our fathers and our brethren. A mighty 
impulse pervaded the whole population. ''Liberty or 
death" was their motto. The proud sj^irit of our fathei'S 
bade defiance to British thunder ; the bright and daz- 
zling equipments of regular and well-disciplined troops 
could not intimidate the hardy yeomanry of our coun- 
try. I will here relate a story, strictly characteristic 
of our countrymen : I had it from the mouth of an 
eye-witness,* who was a brother to one of Gen. Wash- 
ington's life-guards. It was at the taking of Corn- 
wallis. The regiment that this man belonged to had, 
previous to that event, suffered unnumbered priva- 
tions, were continually on the alert, and their clothing 
was literally rags : he said nearly one-half of the regi- 
ment were barefoot ; but their hearts were as true as 
the needle to the pole. The supplies which had been 
long expected from the government had not arrived ; 
but, by perseverance and valor, the day of their deliv- 
erance was at hand. At this critical period, when the 
fate of our country was suspended by a thread, the 
summons from the American camp struck terror and 
dismay into the heart of the haughty British com- 
mander. He made a conditional surrender, and the 
time was set when his troops should march out of the 
post, and stack their arms. Our allies, the French, 
were drawn up in a long line on one side, and the 
Americans on the other ; and the British troops, the 
prisoners, were to march out between these lines, with 

* Mr. James Dnvenport of Dorchester, Mass. 
4* 



42 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



trailed arms, unloaded, and deposit them on the spot 
assigned. Our brave Yankees literally toed the line, 
for their feet were many of them bare ; while the 
proud British soldiers were dressed, as the saying is, 
"neat as a new pin," — every man had his hair pow- 
dered, and every one was a prince to look to. My 
informant said that language was too feeble to de- 
scribe the indignation and resentment of the British 
soldiers, plainly' depicted in their countenances, to 
think that they, had surrendered to such a dirty, 
ragged, weatherbeaten set of human beings : they 
gnashed their teeth, and shook their heads, and mut- 
tered out oaths and execrations too horrid to re- 
hearse. All the while our victorious countrymen 
stood firm and unmoved, — guns loaded, swords drawn, 
hearts of steel : a glow of manly enthusiasm and joy 
beamed from every countenance ; while the rude winds 
of heaven sported with their tattered garments. This 
was truly American ; this was truly the character of 
our fathers : though poor and destitute, they were 
powerful, energetic, and brave, and never bowed the 
knee to, nor owned a superior in, any human being. 
This regiment that I have mentioned was presented, 
by the great and good Lafayette, with shoes and 
stockings, and every one of the sergeants with a cut- 
lass, out of his own private purse, as a reward for 
their integrity, obedience, and devotedness to the 
cause of liberty. He never deserted them by day or 
by night ; and when the soldiers were obliged to 
encamp on the ground, in the open field, he would 
refuse, when solicited to accept of better fare, and 
lie down on the ground by the side of his horse, and 



HISTORV OF WARWICK. 



43 



in company with liis men. How strange, how aston- 
ishing, that a young and rich nobleman, born with 
an ample fortune, should leave the land of his birth, 
the friends of his youth, the gay and fascinating pleas- 
ures so alluring to the young, and repair to a foreign 
land, to espouse their cause, to fight their battles, to 
associate with and become attached to our rude and 
rustic sires ! But such was the case ; and what could 
be the caus.e ? what reason can we assign for it .'' It 
was the principles of the man, the congenial feelings, 
the attachment, the indissoluble attachment of kindred 
souls, — an attachment which adversity cannot weaken 
nor death destroy. 

1774- 

A meeting was called " in His Majesty's name " (but 
not in obedience to His Majesty) on the thirtieth 
day of August, 1774, to take into consideration sev- 
eral papers sent to the town of Warwick from the 
town of Boston, and from committees of correspond- 
ence, to see if the town will enact any thing respect- 
ing these papers, or any thing else relating to the 
public difficulties that this Province labors under at 
this day ; and also to see if the town will make a 
grant of the sum desired to defray the charges of the 
committee of Congress. 

Now listen : This meeting was called, or notified, 
on the 30th of August. See the promptitude, see the 
ardency of their feelings : unable to wait seven days, 
as the law required, they are summoned to meet on 
the fifth day of September, at two o'clock, p.m. Not 



44 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



a voice is raised to dispute the legality of the meet- 
ing", but a simultaneous response of" Forward ! forward ! 
Our rights are invaded, our liberties are in jeopardy." 
But let us pause, and hear their simple but energetic 
language : — 



"Voted and chose Mr. Ezra Conant moderator. Voted 
the sum of eight shilhngs, being this town's proportion of 
the sum agreed on by the Honorable Council and House 
of Representatives in their session to pay a committee of 
Congress. Voted to get two barrels of powder, and lead 
and flints, answerable for a town stock ; and that the select- 
men be a committee to procure the same. Voted to adhere 
strictly to our chartered rights and privileges, and to defend 
them to the utmost of our capacity ; and that we will be in 
readiness, that, if our brethren in Boston or elsewhere 
should be distressed by the troops sent here to force a com- 
pliance to the unconstitutional and oppressive acts of the 
British Parliament, and will give us notice, that we will 
repair to their relief forthwith. Voted to choose a captain, 
lieutenant,*and ensign, and that they enlist fifty men in this 
town to be at a minute's warning to go, if called for, to the 
relief of our brethren in any part of the Province. 

" Voted and chose Saj nuel W illiams captain ; James 
Ball lieutenant; and Amzi DooTiWe^nsign. Voted that 
the expenses of said company (if called to go) shall be paid 
by the town, an account therefor being exhibited to the 
town by officers thereof" 

Signed by Ezra Conant, Moderator. 



Here you may see the unanimity of kindred souls ; 
here is a fair sample of our fathers' characters in those 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 45 

gloomy and perilous times, volunteering their prop- 
erty, and all that was dear to them as men, or valuable 
to them as citizens, — yes, and their lives too, — on the 
sacred altar of their country's rights. But my story 
is not yet half told; for, on the 17th of September, 
" Joseph Mayo, constable of said town, was directed 
forthwith to notify the inhabitants thereof to assemble 
on the 19th instant at three o'clock in the afternoon, 
to see if the town will vote to choose delegates to 
represent them in a county congress, to be convened 
at Northampton on the 2 2d instant, at nine o'clock 
in the morning ; also to see if the town will act any 
thing respecting our public affairs, and choose such 
committee or committees, and give them instructions 
as they shall think proper at said meeting." Here 
again the constable was directed on Saturday to sum- 
mon the people to meet on Monday, to act on 
matters of the first importance. Where was the law.? 
The impulse of. the moment was their law, their con- 
science their law-giver, and their God their judge. 
But they assembled, every man to his post, and chose 
Capt. Samuel Williams moderator. It was proposed 
to the town to send delegates to the congress at 
Northampton on the 22d, and immediately voted 
m the affirmative. Voted and chose Capt. Samuel 
Williams and Mr. Josiah Pomeroy delegates. Also 
voted that an attested copy of the proceedings of 
this meeting be given to the delegates by the town 
clerk ; then adjourned the meeting to the 26th instant, 
at four o'clock, p.m. 

Met again at the time specified at the adjournment, 
instructed and animated by their delegates, who had 



46 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

returned from Northampton. They voted to send 
Capt. Samuel WilHams to represent them in a Pro- 
vincial Congress, to be holden at Concord, on the 
second Tuesday of October following. 

A town meeting was convened Nov. 7, to pass upon 
and pay the costs of the delegation to Northampton 
and Concord ; also to see if the town will choose their 
militia officers, or divide the town into two companies ; 
viz., an alarm-list company, and a training company, 
of militia. It may be necessary to state, for informa- 
tion, that the above company just mentioned consisted 
of all the exempts from the militia companies by 
reason of age. The law at that day compelled the 
militiamen to train until they were forty-five years of 
age ; and the alarm-list consisted of all able-bodied 
men between forty-five and sixty years of age. The 
old men between forty-five and sixty years were 
obliged to keep themselves constantly armed and' 
equipped, and to meet for inspection and training only 
once a year, but were obliged to turn out at the call 
of the authority of the State. 

At this meeting, the town voted to pay Samuel 
Williams his account for attending the county con- 
gress at Northampton, as follows : viz., For four 
days' time, eight shillings ; journey of his horse, five 
shillings ; and travelling expenses, five shillings : 
amounting to eighteen shillings. Also voted to pay 
Mr. Josiah Pomeroy the same sum. They also voted 
to pay Capt. Samuel Williams for attending the Pro- 
vincial Congress at Concord, eighteen days, at two 
shillings per day, and twelve shillings for the journey 
of his horse, and his expenses three shillings per day. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 47 

These charges speak volumes in favor of the clishi- 
terestedness of the men who served the public in those 
days. The town then proceeded to choose a captain 
of the militia, and chose Samuel Williams ; Peter 
Proctor lieutenant ; and Reuben Petty ensign ; and 
Amos Marsh clerk. At an adjournment of this 
meeting, the town voted to choose two lieutenants for 
said company, and chose the aforesaid Peter Proctor 
first lieutenant, and Reuben Petty the second, and 
Thomas Rich ensign ; and voted that the company 
should choose their under-ofiicers. You may possibly 
think that I have been too lavish of my encomiums, — 
that I have said too much in commendation of the 
actors on the stage at the time we have been con- 
sidering. But I think that too much cannot be said. 
I think their conduct to be above all praise ; but I do 
not deny that they were men, and men, too, of like 
•passions and propensities with ourselves, subject to 
error, and frequently erring. But where they acted 
bravely and disinterestedly, they ought to have the 
praise of it. Infirmities they all probably had, — and 
infirmities we all have at the present day ; let us 
pattern after their virtues, and avoid their imperfec- 
tions. 

In the autumn of 1774 the first appearance of dis- 
cord on religious matters in this town appears on 
record. One article in the warrant was as follows : 
viz., " To see if the town will take into considera- 
tion the certificates of the differing societies of those 
persons that call themselves Baptists in this town ; 
and pass any votes respecting their being taxed to the 
minister, any or all of them." 



48 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

They voted to Aaron Whitney eight pounds for the 
two kegs of powder ; three pounds and fourpence for 
two hundred weight of lead and three hundred flints ; 
and transport of the articles, one pound and nine shil- 
lings ; making twelve pounds, nine shillings, and four- 
pence. And they also voted that twenty-seven persons, 
expressed by name on the records, should not be 
rated to the minister. 

This year the town granted eighty pounds for 
repair of highways, forty pounds of it to be worked on 
the county road : three-fourths of the money to be 
worked out before the middle of July, the other fourth 
before the ist of October ; and it was also voted that 
the wages on the highway should be three shillings 
for a man, two shillings for a yoke of oxen, and one 
shilling for a cart or plough per day. Twenty-four 
pounds (including the interest) was voted for school- 
ing. 

It was omitted in its proper place to mention 
the first division of this town into school-districts. 
June 3, 1773, the town voted to choose a committee 
of five, to divide the whole town into school-districts ; 
said division, when made, to be binding on the town, 
entry thereof being made on the town-book by order 
of the selectmen. Said committee consisted of Messrs. 
Jonathan Woodard, Ezra Conant, James Ball, Dr. 
Medad Pomeroy, and Amos Marsh. 

1775- 

Jan. 3 of this year, a meeting was convened to 
see if the town would choose a man to send to 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 49 

Cambridge, to the Provincial Congress in February 
next ; and to see if the town will accept the proposals 
agreed upon by the selectmen and a committee chosen 
by the Baptist society, to leave our lawsuit that the 
Baptists commenced against James ]3all, Medad 
Pomeroy, and Ezra Conant, at the last May sessions. 

Voted and chose Samuel Williams to represent the 
town at Cambridge. Voted to pass over the last 
article. March 6, 1775, it was voted to choose five 
selectmen ; and Amos Marsh, Samuel Williams, Josiah 
Pomeroy, Thomas Rich, and David Cobb were chosen ; 
Amos Marsh town clerk. Seventy pounds was voted 
for highways. The twenty-ninth article acted on at 
this meeting. It was moved and voted that they choose 
a committee of inspection consisting of five men ; and 
they chose Reuben Petty chairman, Seth Peck, Josiah 
Pomeroy, Thomas Rich, and Amos Marsh, said com- 
mittee. 

May 18, it was voted to reconsider the vote passed 
at the last annual meeting respecting the grant of 
money for the highwa3'S ; and they voted instead, 
thirty-five pounds, — twenty pounds to be worked on 
the county road. They also voted to send a man to 
th^: Provincial Congress, and chose Samuel Williams. 
The July following, Col. Samuel Williams was again 
chosen a delegate to a court or congress to be con- 
vened in the meeting-house in Watertown ; and the 
town chose three men a committee to give him his 
instructions ; viz., Amos Marsh, Thomas Rich, and 
Seth Peck. 

Also voted, the inhabitants do concur with the 
resolve and recommend of the committees of corre- 
s 



50 



IIIf;TORY OF WARWICK. 



spondence of Northfi^ld, Athol, and Warwick, to dis- 
arm and confine the Rev. Mr. Hedge to the town of 
Warwick, unless he has a permit from the committee of 
correspondence of said town. Voted to choose eleven 
men as a committee to come into some plan to settle 
the difficulties between this people and Mr. Hedge ; 
viz., Amos Marsh, Ezra Conant, Samuel Williams, 
Peter Proctor, Moses Leonard, Jonathan Woodard, 
Jeduthan Morse, Abraham Barnes, Samuel Sherman, 
Benjamin Conant ; and the record states that the 
eleventh man was not chosen, by reason of a mis- 
count. Meeting adjourned to July 17. 

The adjourned meeting having assembled, the com- 
mittee on Mr. Hedge's matters made a report, as fol- 
lows : viz., Mr. Hedge proposes that he will, upon 
the town's rescinding the vote to disarm and confine 
him to said town, pledge his honor that he will not 
influence or prejudice the minds of the people against 
the common cause which the country is engaged in, 
and will then join with the town in three proposals : 
viz., First, to leave it to the General Assembly of 
the Province ; second, to a mutual council ; third, to 
any set of judicious men the town and he could agree 
upon. 

On the report being made, a motion was made to 
rescind the vote ; but it passed in the negative, as the 
records say, by a vast majority. The town then voted 
and chose Seth Peck, Jeduthan Morse, Daniel Gale, 
and Savill Metcalf, in addition to the committee of 
correspondence. 

In September, a meeting was called to see if the 
selectmen should be authorized to purchase a quantity 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



51 



of salt for the use of the uihabitants, and have instruc- 
tions for retaiUng the same. Also to see if the town 
will dismiss Mr. Hedge from his ministerial office ; and 
to rescind the vote passed at the annual meeting, 
granting him his salary according to contract. These 
articles were all passed over ; and seventy-two yeas 
for dismissing Mr. Hedge entered their protest against 
the vote. Voted to accept Col. Samuel Williams's ac- 
count for attending the Congress, — two pounds ten 
shillings. 

1776. 

In March, 1776, the town chose five selectmen (the 
first three to be assessors), and also chose seven men 
a committee of correspondence, inspection, and safety ; 
viz., Josiah Pomeroy, Josiah Rawson, Daniel Gale, 
Thomas Rich, Reuben Petty, Elijah Whitney, and 
Joseph Goodell. Voted forty pounds for repairing 
roads, and twenty-four pounds for schooling. 

On the 24th of May, a meeting was convened 
for choosing a delegate or representative to meet 
on the 29th of May, at Watertown, in the General 
Assembly of the Province. This was the first 
town-meeting called in the name of the government 
and people of the Massachusetts Bay, all previous 
meetings having been called in the name of His 
Majesty ; and at this meeting the first legal represen- 
tative was chosen to represent the town : those that 
had been previously chosen were in defiance of a con- 
stituted authority. Lieut. Thomas Rich was chosen ; 
and it was voted to choose a committee of three men 



^2 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

to give instructions to said representative. Chose 
Amos Marsh, Josiah Rawson, and Reuben Petty. 
Then it was voted to adjourn the meeting half an 
hour, for said committee to draw instructions, and re- 
port to the town. 

The meeting was opened agreeably to adjournment, 
and the committee read their instructions to the town ; 
also a number of resolves of the committee of the 
county of Suffolk. The town then voted to accept 
said instructions, and also the sixth clause in the Suf- 
folk resolves. Also voted that the said instructions, 
and the sixth clause of the Suffolk resolves, "goes on 
the town book." By this vote, those first instructions 
are preserved ; and it will not injure us, if it does not 
profit us, to hear the sentiments they contain. They 
are as follows ; viz. : — 

" Whereas you, Lieut. Thomas Rich, are chosen to repre- 
sent the town of Warwick in a General Assembly of the 
Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, we your constituents do 
give you the following instructions : — 

" I St, That you represent us, as true and loyal subjects to 
the power now in the hands of the people of America, and 
that you do your endeavour that no act or acts be passed 
encroaching on the liberties or in any measure invading the 
rights of the People. 

" 2dly, That you grant all supplies necessary for the safety 
of America under her distressing circumstances ; and that 
you are not extravagant in your grants to those that may be 
employed in the service of the Colony ; at the same time 
trusting that every true friend to his country will be wiHing 
to serve in any place where he may be wanted, for a rea- 
sonable reward. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK 



53 



" 3clly, That you tolerate all persuasions on account of 
their religious sentiments, without giving one the advantage 
of the other, either in their persons or their properties. 

" 4thly, That all such laws as in any degree infringe on 
the liberties of the people be made void. In particular, 
that of a person having twenty pounds ratable estate, to 
qualify him to vote in town affairs, by reason of which so 
great a majorit}^ as two-thirds of the freeholders of this town 
are prohibited voting in town affairs, although they pay the 
major part of the taxes hereby raised, which is frequently 
the case in new-settled towns. There are other things that 
are a burden, such as these : going sixty miles for license to 
keep tavern, and recording Deeds, all which may be clone 
in every town, or in sundry places in the County, greatly to 
the advantage of the towns lying in the outside of the 
Counties. 

" 5thly, As also, paying the Representatives by their own 
towns, which might be more equitably done by the Province : 
a great hardship that a town of forty families should pay as 
much for the legislative power as one that has three hun- 
dred families in it ; and as we are poor, and hard drove to 
pay our taxes, every thing that is a burden that can be taken 
off or eased ought to be done. 

"6thly, That all deceased wills be proved and recorded, 
and estates settled, in each town where the deceased last 
lived, by the Selectmen and Town Clerk in the same town ; 
and that each town have liberty, at each annual March meet- 
ing, to choose a Committee or Town Council to prove Wills 
and settle Estates, and a Register to record Wills and Set- 
tlements of Estates. Said Selectmen or Committee, and 
the Town Clerk or Register's fees, to be each year agreed 
upon by the same town." 

Here in these instructions you see the jealousy of 



54 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



our fathers, their republican principles, their love of 
liberty and equality, and above all, though miserably 
poor, their determination to support the cause of their 
country. 

At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of 
Warwick, July 4, 1776 (this meeting was called in 
compliance with a resolve of the General Court 
to express their sentiments on declaring Independ- 
ence of the Kingdom of Great Britain), a motion 
was made and seconded, that the town ^vill express 
their sentiments by declaring for independence 
by yeas and nays ; and all that are not present 
at this meeting have the opportunity of giving their 
names to the town clerk within six days from said 
meeting, by personally appearing before said clerk ; 
and voted, that the town clerk give off the sentiments 
relative to independence to. Lieut. Thomas Rich, the 
representative for said town. Thirty-eight names 
voted yea ; and forty-four more came in within six days 
and voted for Independence : making a total of eighty- 
two jj/^^i", and not one in the negative. 

A handbill was circulated through the State, and 
a meeting called, to get the opinion of the inhabitants 
respecting a constitution and form of government in 
the several towns. This meeting was in October, 1776 ; 
and it was voted in this town, that the present House 
of Representatives, with the Council, should not enact 
and agree on a constitution or form of government, 
but that they should report one, and send it out to the 
towns, for their inspection and perusal ; and they 
chose a committee to frame instructions for the rep- 
resentative of the town. Chose Amos Marsh, Josiah 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



55 



Rawson, and Peter Fish. Said instructions were as 
follows ; viz. : — 

To Mr. Thomas Rich. 

Sir, — Having by a late vote empowered and directed you 
to join the other members of the General Assembly in 
forming a plan of Government for this State, and being fully 
sensible that it is a matter of the greatest importance, both 
to the present and future generations, that such a plan be 
adopted as shall be most free from the seeds of tyranny, and 
have the greatest tendency to preserve the rights and liber- 
ties of the people, and the most likely to preserve peace 
and good order in the State, we therefore beg leave to 
lay before you the following short hints respecting a form 
of government, which we apprehend, if adopted, will have a 
tendency to answer the purposes above mentioned. 

I St, That there be but one branch in the legislative au- 
thority of this State ; viz., the representatives from the sev- 
eral towns, with a president or speaker at the head. 

2dly, That an equal representation may be made, and 
the balance of power properly preserved, let each incor- 
porated town send one member, and the larger towns not 
more than four or five, and the other towns in equal propor- 
tion. 

3dly, That in making choice of the representative, every 
free male inhabitant, twenty-one years of age, to have the 
privilege of voting. 

4thly, That in case sufficient evidence appears to a town 
that their representative or members are guilty of acting 
contrary to the rights and liberties of the people, then to 
have the privilege, at any time in the year, to recall him or 
them, and choose anew. 

5thly, That not less than eighty members make a house. 



56 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



1777. 



On Feb. 14, 1777, there is an account allowed by 
the town, in the following form : — 

The town of Warivkk to the Select nun, Dr. 
For numbering the people, in the year 1776, agreeably to 
a resolve of Congress, and act of the Court of the State of 
Massachusetts Bay. One day and an half each, at four 
shillings per day: the whole £1. \os. od. 

We notice this record, because it coincides with our 
opinion, that it is much the best way of numbering 
the people, — the cheapest and the most accurate. 
March 31, 1777, chose five Selectmen, and seven men 
as a Committee of Correspondence and Inspection 
and Safety. Forty pounds was raised for highways, 
half of it to be worked on the county roads ; and 
twenty-four pounds, with the interest money, for 
schooling. 

Thomas Rich was chosen Representative. 

In August the town met, and voted to pay Josiah 
Cobb and Asahel Newton twelve pounds twelve 
shillings, to defray the expense of getting the salt from 
Boston, apportioned to them by the General Court. 

About this time the depreciation in the paper 
money caused many embarrassments ; and a meeting 
was called to take into consideration a late act of the 
General Court, in calling in the State's money, and 
granting treasury notes upon interest. And it was 
voted, that if no other method could be adopted than 
to call in the State's money and put it upon interest, 
that we would have said money called in and burned, 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 57 

rather than to run our risk in paying interest for it 
at a clay when money cannot be had so easy as at the 
present day. Also voted, that the town will make 
choice of Caleb Strong for their County Register. 

1778. 

March 30, 1778, voted to choose five selectmen ; and 
chose Amos Marsh, Lieut. Joseph Mayo, Lieut. 
Thomas Rich, Lieut. Josiah Pomeroy, and Caleb 
Mayo ; and it was voted that the second, third, and 
fourth selectmen be assessors. Four hundred pounds 
was voted to repair the highways, half of it to be laid 
out on the County roads. Voted to allow twenty 
shillings a day for a man, ten shillings for a yoke of 
oxen, and six shillings for a cart or plough.* 

Voted to set oft^ Richard Wastcoat and the inhab- 
itants about him, as a school ward. 

May 21, 1778, a constitution or form of govern- 
ment was laid before the people in the several towns 
in this commonwealth. The vote in Warwick was 
three for adopting said constitution, and twenty-four 
against it. 

Sept. 18, a meeting was held to see if the town 
will pay a bounty on wolves ; and also to see if the 
town will provide preaching in said town, upon the 
plan of a free contribution ; also to choose a committee 
to procure the same, upon the plan above mentioned ; 
and also to see what measures the town will take to 
support the widow Sarah Crossman. 

* This shows that the money was depreciated, by allowing such a 
jM'ice for labor. 



58 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Voted at the foregoing meeting to pay a bounty of 
twenty pounds per head on wolves ; and proposed 
joining with Northfield, Winchester, Royalston, and 
Athol ; and voted that the selectmen be a committee 
to send to said towns. 

Voted to pass over the article for procuring preach- 
ing. 

Voted that Josiah Rawson and Samuel Mellen be 
a committee to provide for the widow Sarah Cross- 
man the necessaries of life ; and chose Dea. James 
Ball to look into the affair relative to the widow 
Grossman being an inhabitant of said town. 

The crisis is passed and gone, which was so full of 
interest and instruction. The " breaking out " (as it 
has many times been expressed) of the " Revolution- 
ary war," and the many heroic displays of the genera- 
tion which has immediately preceded us, have in 
some measure eclipsed the many meritorious acts of 
the subsequent times. The most important, the long 
to be remembered traiisaction, that of declaring our- 
selves a free and independent people or nation, had 
passed by. But much remained yet to be done. The 
patience, the unexampled patience and fortitude, of 
our fathers and brothers, was severely tested. 

In the midst of a noble struggle for liberty and the 
rights of man, they steadily and firmly stemmed the 
unequal contest, — a contest unexampled in the history 
of nations. The stripling youth, young and inex- 
perienced, was now seen contending with the power- 
ful and hard-hearted parent. The rights and the 
liberties which the God of nature had conferred upon 
him as his birthright were clandestinely and unfeelingly 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 59 

withheld. The allegorical David, unaccustomed to 
the " tented field," unaccoutred with a coat of mail, 
and unprovided with an armor-bearer to shield his 
throbbing breast from the cruel and powerful sword 
of his enemy, trips forward to meet the Goliath of the 
world, — the lion of the Islands of the seas. The 
valley that was between them was the vast Atlantic 
Ocean ; his armor-bearer was a thousand ships of 
war, manned by veteran and experienced seamen ; his 
shield the heavy and thundering artillery, that had 
so long protected him from the rage of all his foes. 

And mark the result ! Relying on the God of ar- 
mies, his youthful hands prostrated the proud Goliath, 
and literally killed him with his own sword ; for never 
could we have conquered the enemy, if we had not 
taken arms and ammunition wherewith to have taken 
off his head. We well know that they contended per- 
severingly, and accomplished the object they had in 
view. We are enjoying the rich fruits of their labors : 
may we have the wisdom and virtue to transmit to 
our posterity unimpaired all these national blessings ! 

But the " rude din of arms " and " horrors of war " 
were not all the evils which surrounded our towns- 
men at this time. To add to the calamities of this 
(I had almost said ill-fated) town, at the time when 
the public burdens were the heaviest and most sensi- 
bly felt, a powerful religious excitement was produced 
among the inhabitants, by the preaching and ex- 
hortations of one Elder Hix, an itinerant Baptist 
minister, whose zeal, by what has been related of him, 
could hardly have been exceeded by St. Paul him- 
self. They went from house to house, convincing 



6o HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and converting one another ; held their meetings by 
day and by night, in season and out of season. 
Their daily and usual occupations were neglected ; 
some of the first characters in the town were sub- 
jects of irresistible grace, and exhorted and prayed 
and admonished each other to flee to the ark of safe- 
ty ; and children and boys, unlearned and untaught, 
could pray with the tongues of men and of angels. 
Much enthusiasm made them mad, sober reason was 
discarded, and the town was well nigh turned upside 
down. But listen to the sequel. 

When the victims of this delusion (if we may be 
allowed so mild an expression) were wrought up to 
the highest pitch, when meek -eyed Charity hoped and 
believed them to be sincere worshippers of God, the 
bubble burst, the wolves in sheep's clothing were dis- 
covered. _ Such a scene of infatuation and corruption 
was brought to light as perhaps never was before wit- 
nessed in a Christian land. Who could believe that 
this monster in sin, though a pretended servant of the 
most high God, had long been guilty of conduct that 
would disgrace a brothel ; and, to fill up the measure 
of his iniquity to the brim, he absconded from the town 
with a young girl, the miserable dupe of his nefarious 
wiles, and a deluded proselyte to his pretended reli- 
gion. This girl's name was Doolittle. As soon 

as the rookery was broken up by the arch demon's 
decamping, Mr. Amos Marsh cleared out with Mrs. 
Doolittle, the girl's mother ; and Mr. Amzi Doolittle, 
the father of the girl, went off with Mr. Thomas 
Barber's wife. 

The exasperated friends and relations of some of 



HISTORY OF WAR^yICK. 6 1 

these elopers followed after them, and took Mr. Marsh 
and Mrs. Doolittle somewhere in the State of New 
York, brought them back, and committed them to 
jail in Northampton, where they were tried for the 
crime of adultery, and found guilty. They were sen- 
tenced to sit on the gallows, pay a fine, and he was 
ever after to wear the letter A, in a large capital form, 
on his outside garment. 

Before leaving this disgusting story, I will inform 
you of one of the methods this famous Elder Hix 
used to lead astray his credulous hearers, and make 
them the willing subjects of seduction. 

He told them that men and women had their spirit- 
ual husbands and wives as well as their temporal ; and 
consequently where the spirit led them to love and 
admire each other in a spiritual sense, there was no 
criminality in the connection. 

I think we may truly say with the poet, — 

"When such sad scenes our senses pain, 
What eye from weeping can refrain ?" 

Thus the peace and happiness of four or five fami- 
lies were completely destroyed, and society received 
an almost irreparable wound. A solemn warning, this, 
for all of us to beware of impostors, and not to be 
led away by infatuated religionists, nor deluded by a 
mistaken zeal. 

But to return to our previous subject, respecting the 
national difficulties and obstacles that our fathers en- 
coui>tered in those exciting and trying times. 

Our government was only a rope of sand. A new 



62 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

constitution for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
had been drawn up and submitted to the town for 
their approbation or disapproval ; and it was almost 
unanimously opposed, only three voting in favor of it. 
The proposed constitution did not agree with their 
liberal and republican principles ; yet, at the same 
meeting, they voted to grant the requisition of the 
General Court, respecting supplying their proportion 
towards clothing the Continental army. 

The town at this time was also destitute of a minis- 
ter ; the Rev. Lemuel Hedge having died Oct. 17, 
1777, on the very day that Gen. Burgoyne surren- 
dered his army to the Americans. 

The depreciation in the paper money then in circu- 
lation was an evil severely felt : silver and gold was 
scarce, and the circulating medium was principally 
paper. For an example of its value, it is recorded 
that at the annual meeting in March, 1779, eight 
hundred pounds was raised to repair the highways, 
two-thirds of it to be laid out on the county road ; 
and the wages of a man was fixed at thirty-six shil- 
lings per day, and a yoke of oxen at three dollars. 

Th2 December previous (1778), it was voted to 
give the Rev. Samuel Reed six hundred and seventy- 
five poijnds, as a settlement in the gospel ministry ; 
and it was also voted to relinquish all that are not of 
.the Congregational denomination from paying minis- 
terial charges. 

They also voted to pay the Rev. Samuel Reed sixty 
pounds lawful money for the first year's salary, and 
seventy pounds a year afterwards ; said salary to be 
paid in money, equal to rye at three shillings and six- 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 63 

pence per bushel, and corn at two shillings and eight- 
pence per bushel. Rev. Samuel Reed was ordained 
in Warwick, Sept. 23, 1779, and he had thirty cords 
of wood added to his salary annually. 

The town meetings at this time were called in the 
name and government of the people of the State of 
Massachusetts Bay. In June, 1 779, the town convened 
for the purpose of petitioning the General Court to 
relinquish a heavy fine laid on them for not raising 
their quota of men, and to represent their inability 
to raise men for the service in proportion to their 
numbers. It has been said that the town could not 
procure men without paying large bounties, or pro- 
viding for their families while they were absent ; a 
large proportion of the inhabitants being poor. 

The town chose a committee of five to draft a peti- 
tion out of two forms produced by Lieut. Thomas 
Rich and Col. Samuel Williams, which was to be 
signed by the town clerk in behalf of the town, for a 
redress of grievances. In August, 1779, the town 
voted ' to warn out all persons residing in said town, 
that were not inhabitants," according to law ; and for 
the fu'ure to practise accordingly. They also voted 
to send a member to the county convention, to be 
holden at Northampton, to state the prices of the 
necessaries of life. Lieut. Josiah Pomeroy was chosen. 
After the delegate had returned from Northampton, 
the town voted to adopt the doings of the convention, 
and chose a committee of seven persons to fix the 
price of hay and other articles which should be 
thought proper. They also chose a committee of three 
persons to hear complaints, provided that any should 
transgress these regulations. 



54 " HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

On the 8th of November, the town voted to raise 
seven hundred pounds to pay bounties and mileage of 
soldiers. 

1780. 

This year the paper money had so depreciated, that 
five thousand pounds was voted to repair the high- 
ways. Men's wages fixed at nine pounds per day, and 
a yoke of oxen five pounds, and a cart or plough at 
three pounds per day ; and fifteen hundred pounds 
was raised for the support of the poor. 

May 17, this year, the sixth article in the warrant is 
as follows : viz., " To see if the town will take any 
method to prevent the wolves catching sheep." 

The present constitution of this State was laid be- 
fore the town for their acceptance the twenty-fourth 
day of May of this year ; and they voted to accept the 
third article, viz., " the article on religious freedom :" 
seventy-three voting in favor of the article, and finally 
the^ whole constitution at large, with this amendment : 
viz., "That no person shall hold a seat in the civil 
department of government, except he be a professor of 
the Christian Protestant religion." Afterwards it was 
voted not to receive the constitution with the pro- 
posed amendment ; and a committee was chosen to 
regulate the objections and amendments. 

The town was called on, in June, to raise a number 
of men for six months ; and a committee was chosen, 
with instructions to ofler the men that would go into 
the service for that time fifteen pounds bounty, equal 
to silver or gold, or a sum equal to their wages. In 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



65 



July following, the town raised fourteen hundred and 
fort)'-nine pounds and twelve shillings, to pay said 
bounty ; and they also raised five thousand pounds for 
defraying necessary charges ; and in September, to 
cap the whole, they voted to raise twenty thousand 
pounds to pay up the soldiers. 



1781. 

Jan. 8, the town voted three thousand one hundred 
pounds, to pay for horses for the Continental service. 
About this time the town was called on for three years' 
men ; and they voted to class the town, and each class 
was to provide a man, and pay him. Thus may be 
readily perceived the difficulties that beset our towns- 
men. We ought to feel grateful that Providence has 
cast our lot in an age that is distinguished for peace 
and prosperity, and that we have none to molest us 
or make us afraid. "But the story of our predecessors' 
sufferings is not yet all told. 

This town was called upon, in July, to raise seven 
militiamen, and a quantity of beef for the use of the 
army ; and the town raised, or voted to raise, si.xty 
pounds, silver money, to pay for said beef. And also 
chose a committee of three men to give them their 
own securities, and the town would indemnify the 
committee. They also raised thirty pounds lawful 
money to pay the men a part of their wages. 

Is it not a matter of astonishment how this town, 
i^oor and oppressed as it was with' the public burdens 
of those times, ever succeeded in defraying them, with- 



66 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

out leaving a large debt for their posterity to cancel ? 
But it appears that they did. They must have been 
better economists than we are, or it never could have 
been done. In the midst of all their poverty and 
privations, they seemed to be looking forward into 
futurity, and making calculations for after-ages, as 
well as for their own convenience. 

In September of this year, they called a town 
meeting, and chose a committee of three to petition 
the General Court to set off the north-west part of 
the county of Worcester, and the north-east part of 
Hampshire, into a separate county. Here follows the 
petition : — 

"At a town-meeting held in Warwick, Sept. 19, 1781, 
taking into consideration the many hai'dships and dis- 
advantages incident to individuals, as well as towns and 
places, when their situation is remote from county adminis- 
tration. Such is the case with this town, that the inhabit- 
ants cannot make any title to their lands without going 
sixty miles to get their deeds recorded,; and all probate 
business, as well as other county matters, are finished at a 
great distance. Which burden, in addition to our propor- 
tion in the common cause, renders the inhabitants of this 
town, and "others in like circumstances, unable to continue 
their exertions with the people and towns who are at little 
or no expense to do such business." 

The committee were instructed to write to the 
towns of Hardwick, Barre, Hubbardston, Templeton, 
Winchendon, Petersham, Athol, and Royalston, in the 
county of Worcester ; and to Greenwich, New Salem, 
Shutesbury, Wendell, and Erving's Grant, and such 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 67 

other towns as they shall think proper, to unite with 
them in petitioning the General Court to accomplish 
their object ; also to meet delegates from those towns 
at Samuel Peckham's tavern in Petersham, on the sixth 
day of November following, at ten o'clock, a.m., to 
consult on the best method of proceeding. 

In October this year, the town voted to set off four 
thousand and sixty acres of land (as exhibited on a 
plan shown by Elijah Ball), with the inhabitants on the 
same,, to be incorporated into a town with other lands 
from Athol, Royalston, and Erving's Grant. This town 
was called Orang-e. 



1782. 

In 1782, Mr. Moses Leonard gave the town what is 
now the north part of the burying-ground, on con- 
dition that the town will fence the same with a good 
fence fronting the road, with posts and two rails and a 
suitable wall under the same ; he reserving the privi- 
lege of feeding the same with neat cattle and sheep 
only. 

Many of the bodies of the dead were dug up, and 
removed by their friends from the first burial ground 
to the present place of interment. 

At the May meeting this year, Capt. John Golds- 
bury was chosen representative, and a committee was 
chosen to draw instructions for the representative, to 
be laid before the town for their approbation ; and the 
meeting was adjourned until the next Thursday, to 
hear them. They are as follows, viz. : — 



68 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

To Capt. John Goldsbury, — 

S/r, — You being chosen to represent us in tlie General 
Court of this Commonwealth, we, the inhabitants of the 
town of Warwick, do give you the following instructions : 
viz.. That you do your endeavor that the sums apportioned 
on us of the public charges be lessened, as we think that 
they are more than our part, according to our ability. That 
the governor, council, senate, and all other men in this 
State that are under public pay, be lessened to a reasonable 
rate. That the charges annually arising be ascertained. 
That you inquire into the state of the treasury, and of what 
money hath been granted, and how applied. That all men 
unnecessarily employed in public business be dismissed. 
That the General Court be removed out of Boston into 
some other town." 

These instructions have been copied as a specimen, 
of the fashion of the times ; and also hoping, that, from 
these blunt hints, those now in public business might 
gather some instruction from it. 



178, 



The north and north-west part of the town (viz. 
scliool districts, Nos. 7, 8, and 10, as they now are) 
were divided in 1783, and the line between them was 
as follows : viz., " The line to be from what is called 
Bennett's Knob, Mount Grace, and to extend to Jona- 
than Smith's south-west corner, and to extend in a 
straight line to said Smith's south-east corner, and 
thence northerly the same jDoint to the State-line." 

At the May meeting this year, it was voted that the 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 69 

" Selectmen be directed to write in their returns to 
the General Court, that, considering the extreme pov- 
erty of the town, they have not chosen a represen- 
tative the present year." 

June 23 of this year, in town-meeting, it was voted 
"That the new plantation (Orange) called South 
Warwick be districted to the town of Warwick, with 
the privilege of joining with us in the choice of a 
representative, but to act with us in no town affairs 
whatever." 

1784. 

On the 20th of January, the town chose, Thomas 
Rich and Capt. Peter Proctor, a committee to assist 
the selectmen in procuring the best account of the 
charges that have arisen during the war. (No report 
found.) 

On the 3d of May, the district of Orange was 
summoned for the first time to meet with the town 
of Warwick to choose a representative ; and Dea. 
James Ball was chosen. This year we find an account 
exhibited by Mr. Isaac Hastings, which at this day 
would appear novel ; viz., " To taking care of the 
meeting-house and mending the doors, eight shillings. 
To making a tythingman's club and a warden's staff, 
two shillings." (The account was allowed.) 

1785- 

This year the town was divided into nine school- 
districts by a committee, who named the inhabitants 



7° 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



that should belong to each ; and in this imperfect man- 
ner they have remained ever since, excepting some 
small alteration, and a division of the north-west dis- 
trict, making ten in the whole. 

In August a meeting was called to see what the 
town would do with William Houghton's rates ; and it 
was " voted that the selectmen be chosen to inspect 
and oversee William Houghton, and see that the pro- 
duce of his labor be appropriated towards paying his 
taxes as far as may be ; and if the produce of his labor 
finally fails, and his taxes cannot be recovered, the 
town shall indemnify the constables respecting his 
taxes." 

1786. 

In 1786, the inhabitants met in town-meeting, and 
chose Capt. John Goldsbury as a suitable person to 
be commissioned as a justice of the peace, and for- 
warded a petition to the governor, in recommenda- 
tion of him. A minority of the voters protested against 
the proceedings, declaring that a justice of the peace 
could not be chosen by the town constitutionally. 

About this time the pnblic mind was considerably 
agitated by a rebellion of a part of the good citizens 
of Massachusetts. The insurgents, with one Daniel 
Shays, a native of Pelham, at their head, threatened 
to break up the government of the State, and to put 
down all the authority of its members. They actually 
assembled a considerable force ; and for a while they 
increased in numbers to such a degree as actually to 
spread terror and dismay through the Commonwealth. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



71 



The government raised a large body of men to quell 
them, and several lives were lost before they were 
brought to terms. This town did not escape the 
shock, being considerabl)^ divided. Some espoused 
the cause of the rebels; while others stood by their 
rulers. 

Several town-meetings were called ; they chose a 
delegate to send to a convention in Hatfield, to devise 
means to allay the disturbance. Mr. Jacob Packard 
was the delegate chosen. They called a town-meet- 
ing to see if the town would assist the selectmen, they 
having been imprisoned for acting in their office. 
But the article was passed over. 

In September, 1786, there is an agreement with 
Capt. Samuel Langley to build a new meeting-house 
recorded as follows, viz. : — 

"The house to be fifty-eight feet long and forty-two feet 
wide, with a porch on the front of the house, sufficient to 
contain conveaiient stairs to go up into the galleries. 
There is to be forty pews on the lower floor (agreeable to a 
plan herewith exhibited) ; there is to be galleries in the 
front, and at each end of the house, fourteen feet wide from 
the wall, with pews on the back of said galleries, five feet 
eight inches wide from the wall ; the rest of the gallery to be 
seats with a convenient alley round, agreeable to a plan 
herewith submitted. The seats in the front gallery to be 
for singers to sit in ; the seats in the side galleries to be for 
persons to sit in, as the Congregational Society shall direct. 
The house to be completely finished off by the first day of 
September, 1788, in the following form and manner: viz., 
The pews to be with wainscot work, with frieze panels or 
banisters, and one seat in each jdcw. The front of the 



72 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

body-seats and the deacons' seat to be wainscot-work, with 
a convenient communion-table. The body-seats on the 
lower floor, and the seats in the gallery, to be all framed. 
The. pulpit to be built after the Doric order, with fluted pil- 
lars, and architraves by the sides of the window. The bot- 
tom of the canopy to be an octagon panel in the centre. 
The remaining part by the same rule, the top to be turned 
with an O. G. ; the entablature to be by the Corinthian 
order, except the modillion ; the breast-work of the gal- 
leries to be one wide panel with dental cornices, and built 
with six turned pillars under the galleries, and panel pil- 
lars over the same on the breast-work. One eight-panel 
door at each end of the house, with pediments and double 
architraves. One double door and two single doors to the 
porch, with architraves, cornice, and caps; double doors 
with six panels each at the entrance of the house, out of 
the porch, above and below. The frame to be as follows : 
The sills to be of yellow pine, nine by ten inches square. 
Five lower summers to be twelve inches square. Four cor- 
ner posts ten inches square ; to be oak, with cock tenons. 
Eight pine cock-tenon posts ten inches square. Four prick 
posts ten inches square. Eight pair of rafters nine by ten 
inches square. Six pair of compass rafters. Four king- 
posts broad studded, twelve inches over on each side ; the 
joists in the lower floor to be within two feet of each other, 
and those in the roof to be three feet from each other. The 
house to be braced up- and down, in every place where the 
windows and doors will admit. The boards on the roof to 
be jointed. The roof to be shingled with good fifteen-inch 
shingles, with double cornice at the gable ends, with one 
compass window in each gable end ; thirty-three windows 
in the body of the house, of twenty-four squares in each 
window of eight by ten London crown or Bristol glass, with 
good frames, cornice, and solid caps ; and one window in 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 73 

the porch of the house ; and the porch to be clapboarded 
with good sound clapboards planed. The floor to be dou- 
ble, the upper floor to be jointed, the pew floors to be 
jointed and planed. The gallery floor to be double. . The 
ceiling over the body of the house and under the galleries, 
and the walls (except the board ceiling from the floors), to 
be lathed and plastered The house and porch to be well 
underpinned with good stones. 

" And the said Samuel Langley do hereby promise and 
engage to build the house, and finish it off" workmanlike, 
agreeable to the foregoing directions, by the time before 
mentioned, on the following conditions : viz., That a suffi- 
cient number of the society appear to purchase thirty-nine 
pews on the lower floor (the pew next adjoining the pulpit 
stairs to be for the use of the Congregational minister for 
the time being), the said thirty-nine pews to be nine pounds 
each on an average, and to be paid for in the following 
manner : viz., Two pounds in cash for each pew when the 
meeting-house is raised ; two pounds more for each pew 
when they are finished off.; the rest of the pay for each pew 
to be paid for in neat cattle, sheep, or flax-seed, at the cur- 
rent price when the meeting-house is completely finished. 
The pews in the gallery to be five pounds each, on an aver- 
age, to all such persons that return their names to the com- 
mittee to become purchasers by the fifth day of October 
next. After that day any person^ may purchase any of the 
pews in the gallery of the said Langley, as he and they can 
agree ; as those pews are to be his property till sold. The 
body seats on the lower floor to be used and improved by 
any persons that shall choose to occupy them, as the Con- 
gregational Society shall order. And I, the said Samuel 
Langley, do further agree and engage that I will receive of 
the purchasers of the forementioned pews, towards pay for 
the same, the following materials, at the prices fixed to each 
7 



74 



HISTORY OF WARWICK 



arlicle, of each man's proportion as it shall be apportioned 
by the Society's committee, if each person shall give notice 
to the committee by the first day of November next that 
they will provide tiieir said proportion of the materials at 
the spot by the time hereafter prefixed. And if any person 
shall neglect to notify the committee as aforesaid, he for- 
feits his chance of paying in such materials, and the com- 
mittee may employ any other of the purchasers of pews as 
they shall think, just ; so that there may be no failure of the 
materials being all on the spot by the time hereafter men- 
tioned. The materials are as follows : viz., Ten thousand 
of good ceiling-beards, one inch and one-eighth thick, at 
one pound, ten shillings. Twenty-five thousand good mer- 
chantable inch boards, at one pound, five shillings. Five 
thousand half-inch pine boards, at one pound. Nine thou- 
sand half-inch chestnut boards, at one pound. Eight thou- 
sand of good sawed clapboards, six inches wide, at one 
pound, five shillings. Twenty-nine'thousand of good fifteen- 
inch shingles, at eight shillings per thousand. One hun- 
dred pieces of slit-work fourteen feet long, four by five inches, 
at the rate of twenty-eight shillings per thousand. Eighty 
pieces fourteen feet long, four by five, at twenty-six shillings 
per thousand. Thirty pieces twelve feet long, four by four, 
twenty-six shillings per thousand. Sixty pieces, nine feet 
long, three by five, same price. Ten hogsheads of good 
stone lime, at two pounds^ fourteen shillings, per hogshead. 
And if any of tlie proprietors of pews shall see fit to pay 
any of the following articles at the prices thereto affixed, 
towards paying for their pews, I will receive the same, and 
receipt on delivery, and receive their receipt in pay for their 
pews. 'J"he articles are as follows : viz.. Six thousand of 
double tens at thirteen shillings per thousand. Thirty 
thousand tenpenny nails, at nine shillings per thousand. 
Ninety-four thousand fourpenny nails, at three shillings and 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 75 

four pence per thousand. Five thousand of fivepenny 
brads, at six shillings per thousand. Three thousand of 
threepenny brads, at three shiUings per thousand. ■ Sixty- 
two pair of pew-door hinges, at one shilling and four pence 
per pair. Six boxes of London crown or Bristol glass, 
eight by ten size, at five pounds, two shillings, per hundred 
feet. The pews in the gallery that are purchased by the 
first day of October next to be paid for in the following 
manner : viz., One dollar in cash when the meeting-house is 
raised, and one dollar more when the pews are finished ; 
the next to be paid in neat stock, sheep, or flax-seed, when 
the meeting-house is completely finished. The slit-work to 
be at the spot by the first day of May next. The boards, 
shingles, and clapboards, by the first day of June next. 
The lime by the first day of September next. 

" And I, the said Samuel Langley, do further agree and 
promise, that if there should be any donations in labor or in 
any other way given towards the meeting-house, that I will 
render an account to the committee of the same, towards 
the^ pay of the thirty-nine pews on the lower floor, and in 
the gallery, as it shall be apportioned by the committee. 

" And I, the said Samuel Langley, do agree that the com- 
mittee shall inspect and view the workmanship and materi- 
als of the meeting-house when finished ; and if they judge 
that there is any deficiency in the work or materials, that I 
will leave the matter out to disinterested persons that under- 
stand such business, that the committee and I shall mutu- 
ally choose ; and I will oblige myself to abide their judg- 
ment. '' As witness my hand, 

" Samuel Langley. 

" Warwick, Sept. 15, 1786." 

And further respecting the meeting-house, it was 
first decided to face it to the west ; but afterwards it 
was agreed to face it to the south, as it now stands. 



76 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



A meeting was called in August, to hear the peti- 
tion of James Ball respecting the meeting-house, which 
is as follows :-'Viz., To see if the town will vote to take 
the windows that are in the old meeting-house in War- 
wick, and divide them equally among the school-dis- 
tricts proportionally as the school-wards stand on the 
town invoice ; and also proceed to sell the old meet- 
ing-house for what it will fetch at vendue, and the 
money or securities arising by the sale of said old 
meeting-house, bring into the town treasury of War- 
wick, to defray the public charges of the town, or other- 
wise dispose of the said meeting-house as the town 
shall see fit, on condition the petitioners produce to 
the town an agreement or vote of the Congregational 
Society in Warwick, that all persons of any denom- 
ination of Christians in Warwick may and shall have 
free liberty to meet with the said Congregational So- 
ciety on the Lord's days and other times, for public 
worship in the new meeting-house ; and that the town 
may and shall have the same right to meet in the new 
meeting-house in Warwick at all times hereafter, to 
transact the town's public business, as the town now 
has in the old meeting-house. 

At this meeting it was proposed, whether the town 
would give the old meeting-house to the proprietors 
of the new one, on condition that the Society give to 
the town of Warwick a good deed of all the privileges 
in the new meeting-house, agreeable to a vote of the 
Society ; and this vote passed in the affirmative. 

At this meeting the selectmen were chosen a com- 
mittee to receive the deed for the town from the So- 
ciety. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



77 



It appears that Capt. Langley built the above-men- 
tioned meeting-house, by the job, for the sum of 
fifteen hundred dollars ; and the thirty-nine pews on 
the lower floor *at nine pounds each, ^nd twenty pews 
in the gallery at five pounds each, make but a trifle 
over this sum. The pews were called equal in value ; 
and the members of the society cast lots for the first 
choice on the lower floor. Old Mr. Thomas Gould 
got the first choice ; and he chose the pew where Mr. 
Elijah Fisk now sits, on the right-hand side of the 
broad aisle near the centre of the house. Mr. Moses 
Fay had the last choice, — " Hobson's choice," — that or 
none ; and he had the south-west corner pew. Capt. 
Langley made a losing job, as he had the gallery 
pews at five pounds each ; and they were not all sold 
for many years, and then at a very low price ; and his 
loss was increased by his losing his dwelling-house, 
with the principal part of his furniture, by fire ; and he 
had almost finished all the pews and doors for the 
meeting-house, which were all thus suddenly con- 
sumed. The Society made him some remuneration, 
but not enough to compensate his loss. 



1787. 

In March, 1787, the town assembled as usual, and, 
for some cause now unknown, adjourned the meeting 
until April ; and at this meeting it was insisted on, 
that the meeting should be regulated accordilig to an 
act of the General Court, published in February, 1786. 
Whereupon the selectmen and assessors exhibited a 



yS HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

list of voters, which was read ; and, after some debate, 
it was moved that a vote should be taken, whether the 
town would proceed ; and it passed in the affirmative. 
And the records say, that " Maj. Joseph Mayo protested 
against the meeting." This transaction is noted, be- 
cause it was the first time a list of voters was read in 
town-meeting in this place, and also to show the pro- 
pensity of mankind to oppose and object to every 
thing new, right or wrong. The assessors' account 
for the last year's service was allowed, it being only 
one pound, twelve shillings, each. At the close of the 
record of this meeting, it is stated, " That the above 
chosen officers in general have taken their respective 
oaths." "The officers required by law have taken 
and subscribed the oath of allegiance." 

A meeting was called in August to choose a con- 
stable ; and the fourth article in the warrant is here 
noted for its novelty ; viz., " To hear any request of the 
inhabitants of the town of Warwick, or act any thing 
thereon as the town shall think proper." This article 
must have been broad enough to have satisfied the 
most querulous and gainsaying without any additionab 
words. But the article was passed over. 

Another meeting was called in October, one article 
of which was to see if the town will assist the select- 
men in their being taken and imprisoned in May last 
for acting in their office, and to prosecute those per- 
sons that took them, or act any thing on that matter 
that the town shall think proper ; and choose attorney 
or attorneys to carry on the same, as the town shall 
think fit. Josiah Cobb, Thomas Rich, and James 
Goldsbury, were the selectmen ; and I have never been 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 79 

able to find out the particulars of this affair of impris- 
onment, but suppose it originated in transactions in 
the Shays Rebellion. The town, however, passed the 
article over. 

In March, 1789, we have the first record of peram- 
bulating the town-lines. That part of the line between 
Warwick and Orange was perambulated Dec. 26, 1788, 
by James Goldsbury and Mark Moore for Warwick, 
and Levi Cheney and Joseph Metcalf for Orange ; 
and their report not agreeing with the act of incorpo- 
ration of Orange, is the original source of the difficulty 
that now exists between the towns, respecting the lines 
between them. Capt. John Goldsbury was chosen 
representative to Court. 



1790. 

In March, 1790, the town voted fifteen pounds for 
the support of the poor. They also voted, and chose 
Josiah Cobb, James Goldsbury, and Samuel Langley, 
a committee to stake out suitable places on the meet- 
ing-house common, for people to build noon-houses 
and stables on, if requested by the inhabitants. 

John Goldsbury, Esq., was chosen representativ^e 
for Warwick and Orange. He was also chosen in 
1 79 1 and 1792. In 1791 an attempt was made to 
form a new county, by joining with a part of Worces- 
ter County. It was voted this year that the school- 
money be divided according to the number of scholars 
in the several wards, and the selectmen directed to 
number the scholars in each ward. 



So HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

It appears that the Rev. Samuel Reed had been 
supported by a fund for a number of years. This 
fund was created in the following manner : Each 
individual that meant to support him gave a note to 
a committee appointed to receive them, of the amount 
he was willing to put in ; which several notes, bearing 
interest at six per cent, constituted the fund, the inter- 
est of which paid the salary, so that each man's inter- 
est on his note was his minister-tax. In August this 
year, it was voted unanimously, that it was their minds 
that the fund that was raised in Warwick for the sup- 
port of a Congregational minister ought to be dissolved, 
on condition and agreeable to the petition of Ezra 
Conant and others, and for the future a gospel minis- 
ter be supported agreeable to the Constitution of this 
Commonwealth. The aforesaid fund had been legally 
incorporated ; and Mr. Ezra Conant's petition was one 
that had been presented to the General Court to re- 
peal the fund act. It had had a hearing, and an order 
of notice had been served on the town, to give them 
a chance to object against the repeal of the act if they 
thought proper. 

In November, 1792, the town voted for electors of 
president and vice-president for the first time, an act 
of the General Court having authorized them to do 
so at the June session previous. 



179. 



At the annual meeting this year, there was but five 
pounds raised for the support of the poor. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 8 1 

John Goldsbury, Esq., was chosen representative. 

This year a committee was raised by the town to 
look up the school and ministry rights of land, and to 
see what had been done respecting the sale of them. 
They reported, May 6, at an adjourned meeting, that 
two hundred and ninety-one acres of the school-land 
had been sold for one hundred and twenty-eight 
pounds, fourteen shillings. Lot No. 26, in the fifth 
division, containing fourteen acres, not sold. Also 
that three hundred and five acres of the ministry- 
land had been sold for two hundred and thirty-nine 
pounds. 

This is the source from which the town now re- 
ceives interest-money to help support the minister 
and schools. The interest we receive annually 
towards supporting the minister is fifty-four dollars ; 
and each of the ten school-districts draws three dollars 
annually from the school-fund, making thirty dollars. 

This year the town voted that each school-district 
should draw what money it pays. At a subsequent 
meeting, they voted that Mr. Jonathan Gale be em- 
powered to provide a funeral carriage. Also voted, 
and chose Dea. James Ball, Capt. Mark Moore, and 
Lieut. Jonathan Gale, a committee to divide the town, 
and establish a line between the two militia compa- 
nies. Previous to this, there had been two companies ; 
but every soldier, when he became liable to do military 
duty, had his choice which company to join. This prac- 
tice gave rise to some unpleasant feelings ; as, each cap- 
tain or commanding officer being anxious to secure 
the new recruits, means were sometimes resorted to 
which could not be justified by gentlemen of honor. 



S2 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

But this intangible line had the same effect that the 
stupendous Chinese wall had in another case ; and the 
competition ceased. The old north road to North- 
field, and the road to Royalston, by Caleb Mayo's, 
each leading from the meeting-house, was the line 
established. In October, the town was convened to 
choose a delegate to meet a Court's committee at Asa- 
hel Pomeroy's, in Northampton, respecting a division 
of the County of Hampshire. John Goldsbury, Esq., 
was chosen, and instructed to oppose the division, 
stating that they considered it would be detrimental 
to the town and the county at large. 



I 794. 

This year John Goldsbury, Esq., was again chosen 
representative. Eight pounds, three shillings, were 
voted to pay Jonathan Gale for the funeral carriage. 
It was also voted to build a house for said cauriage ; 
which was put up at auction, and struck off to David 
Mayo for five pounds, two shillings. This year the 
town chose a committee, consisting of Mark Moore, 
Caleb Mayo, and Abraham Gale, to invite the Rev. 
Samuel Reed to extend the relation subsisting between 
him and the Congregational Society in Warwick to 
the town, so that he might be the town's minister, 
instead of the Society's, upon the town's agreeing to 
pay him his salary ; with a proviso, that all persons of 
other denominations were to be exempted from taxa- 
tion for ministerial purposes. The town then agreed 
to pay him seventy pounds in silver, at six shillings 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 83 

and eight pence per ounce, and twenty cords of mer- 
chantable wood yearly, and every year, so long as he 
sliall remain their minister. And they also voted, 
that he should have the money that the ministry-lots 
of land were sold for, by giving good security therefor, 
and deducting the interest out of his salary yearly. 

The Rev. Samuel Reed returned the following an- 
swer : — 



" Gentlemen, — I have received by your committee the 
explanation of your grant of my salary, and also the addi- 
tional grant of the improvement of the ministry money on 
the mentioned conditions, and am happy in the confidence 
I find, after so long a connection and acquaintance, you still 
place in me. And now I freely, and agreeably to your re- 
quest, extend my ministerial relation to all the Congrega- 
tional inhabitants of the town of Warwick, and will endeavor 
faithfully to discharge my trust, as far as my many imper- 
fections will admit, charitably trusting that I shall meet with 
that friendship and candor which is so absolutely necessary 
for enjoyment and happiness in such a relation. My 
friends, if we all study those things that make for peace, we 
shall gain the invaluable Pearl ; and the God of love and 
peace who has so long propitiously beheld this church, we 
may humbly hope, will grant that we still rejoice under liis 
smiles ; and on his wisdom and goodness may we constantly 
rely, in humble and cheerful obedience to his will. May 
his grace be sufficient for us, to lead, protect, and defend 
us in this militant state ; may we grow in knowledge and 
every Christian virtue, and finally come to the stature of per- 
fect men in Christ, and be thought worthy to join his church 
above ! 

" To this our great God and King, and to the mercy of his 



84 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

grace, I commend you, and desire to be commended by you ; 
and under him, and depending on his promises, I subscribe 
myself your sincere and humble servant, 

" Samuel Reed. 
"Nov. 3, 1794." 

Mr. Reed's salary was to commence at the above 
date. The town chose a committee, consisting of 
Rev. Samuel Reed, John Goldsbury, Esq., and Capt. 
Mark Moore, to petition the General Court to repeal 
the act whereby the Congregational Society in War- 
wick was incorporated, and a fund raised, for the sup- 
port of the gospel ministry. 



1795- 

This year there was a town-meeting, called to 
collect the sentiments of the town on the expediency 
of amending the Constitution. Twenty-one voted 
in favor of amendment, and nineteen against it. John 
Goldsbury, Esq., was chosen representative. On 
May 1 1 the town empowered the selectmen to lease 
out that part of the Common west of the road, for any 
term of time not exceeding twenty years. They also 
empowered them to exchange lands with Josiah 
Pomeroy, jun., in order to straighten the line between 
the said town and the said Pomeroy. 

The town granted twenty dollars to erect guide- 
posts, — the first that had been erected by law. They 
also reconsidered a former vote to build a stone pound, 
and voted to build one of wood ; said pound was to be 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 85 

tliirty feet square, and well framed, and handsomely- 
underpinned with stones ; the sills to be eight by ten 
inches square, the rails to be three by five inches, and 
the plates six by seven inches square ; and it was put 
up at auction to the lowest bidder, and struck off to 
Gilbert Mellen for thirteen dollars and eighty-three 
cents. 

1796. 

In April the town voted that the selectmen be a 
committee to sell school-lot No. 26, at the adjourn- 
ment of the meeting. Nathaniel Cheney (of Orange) 
represented the district. 



1797. 

It was voted to raise thirty pounds for killing wild- 
cats the year past, and to continue the bounty, at 
twenty shillings per head, the coming year. 

The town allowed the assessors for taking the in- 
voice and assessing the taxes in 1796, ten days, at 
eighty cents per day. Considerable difficulty existed 
in the town about this time, in regard to the school 
districts. The districts No. 2 and No. 3 had been 
joined together, and afterwards separated. They 
could not agree where to build the schoolhouse in 
No. 2 ; and the town voted and chose Dea. Chamber- 
lain of Winchester, Maj. Alexander of Northfield, and 
Oliver Chapin of Orange, to decide the djspute, and 
assign the spot to build upon, the district to pay the 
expense. Oliver Chapin was chosen representative. 



86 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

The town voted one hundred dollars in addition to 
the Rev. Samuel Reed's salary. 

1798. 

William Heath had fifty-eight votes for governor, 
and fifty-seven for lieutenant-governor. 

Josiah Cobb was chosen representative. 

The Rev. Samuel Reed considering that the town 
did not support him agreeable to their first contract, 
requested an article to be inserted in the warrant to 
dismiss him from the ministry ; but, on the particular 
request of his friends, he had the article withdrawn. 

Nov. 5, this year, it was voted to discharge the tax 
on dogs by one day's work on the highways for each 
dog ; and that they fetch a certificate from the high- 
way surveyor under whom they work to the selectmen, 
certifying that the services are done. 



1799. 

A committee was chosen to look into the situation 
of the school districts ; and they reported to have the 
town divided into seven districts, and each one to 
draw an equal share of the school-money. They also 
voted and chose a committee to appraise the school- 
houses, and another to see what articles are neces- 
sary for building new schoolhouses, and to put up the 
stuff at vendue, and the work also. 

It was afterwards voted to have the districts remain 
as they. were ; viz., that there should be nine. 

Oliver Chapin was chosen representative. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



1800. 



The town voted not to choose a representative this 
year. 

1801. 

It was voted to raise four hundred dollars to pay for 
preaching, and each denomination to draw what they 
pay. 

1802. 

Josiah Cobb was chosen representative. 

A committee was raised, consisting of Mark Moore, 
Peter Proctor, Josiah Pomeroy, Jacob Rich, Caleb 
Mayo, Asa Conant, and Ebenezer Williams, to look into 
the state of the treasury, and to make a report what 
sums there are that belong to the ministry, and what 
other unappropriated moneys were to be found there. 
The committee subsequently reported that there was 
$1,222.85; that $796.67 had been received from the 
sales of the ministerial lands, and $499 from the sale 
of the school-lands ; that there was $332.85 of unap- 
propriated money in the treasury, besides Mr. Hedge's 
donation, which amounted to $93.33. This donation, 
as we have been informed, was from Mr. Elisha 
Hedge, the father of Rev. Lemuel Hedge, our first 
minister. We have never learned the amount of this 
gift, but have found in the old Congregational society's 
records, that a committee was chosen, consisting of 
Dea. James Ball, Col. Samuel Williams, and Joseph 



88 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Mayo, to send a letter of thanks to Mr. Hedge for his 
generous donation towards the fund. Thi§ was the 
1 2th of August, 1779. The presumption is, that it 
was a sum that, with the interest added, after the dis- 
solution of the fund to the time of this report, which 
is dated March 31, 1803, would amount to $93.33- 

The committee reported that there was a deficiency 
of the money that the ministry and school lands sold 
for of $166.15. The town voted to raise the last- 
mentioned sum, and to have it placed on interest, and 
to be applied annually for the use of schooling. Here 
terminates the continual strife and fluctuation of our 
funds in this town ; and from this date we may con- 
sider them settled, permanent, and secure, amounting 
to $1,383- 



180 = 



In 1805 a town-meeting was called, to hear a circu- 
lar letter, respecting dividing the county of Hamp- 
shire ; and Caleb Mayo was chosen an agent, to meet 
other agents at Greenfield to petition the General 
Court for said division. The division was not effected 
at this time ; but the subject was freciuently agitated : 
and in November, 18 10, Justus Russell, Esq., was 
chosen agent for the town ; and the final division was 
.consummated in 18 12. 

In 1805 the town was, perhaps, as much divided on 
political matters as at any period since its first settle- 
ment. Federalists and Democrats were the assumed 
names of the parties ; and the contention ran so high, 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 89 

that fathers, children, brothers, kinsmen, and fellow- 
townsmeu, when convened to exercise the elective 
franchise, appeared more like angry contending foes, 
marshalled in battle-array, than like freemen and 
fellow-citizens. There was no neutral ground. Each 
party had for its motto, " He that is not for us is 
against us." The regulations of the law made it neces- 
sary, that, to be a voter in the choice of a repre- 
sentative, you " must be a resident in the 'town for the 
space of one year next preceding, and have a free- 
hold estate within the town of the annual income of 
ten\Iollars, or any estate to the value of two hundred 
dollars." Very few were to be found that could not 
show two hundred dollars' worth of property on the 
day of election, when perhaps the day before, or the 
day after, you could not collect a just debt of five 
dollars. The aged, the lame, and the sick were alike 
compelled "to come in," to swell and strengthen the 
one, or to overpower the opposing party. The parties 
were almost equally balanced here : while the district 
of Orange was united with us in the choice of a rep- 
resentative ; and they were as divided, as acrimonious, 
and as uncompromising, as we were. At the May 
meeting this year, the inhabitants of Warwick and 
Orange assembled to choose a representative. All 
Yankees are naturally jealous of their rights and 
liberty, but rendered doubly so by the impulse of 
party feelings, — each party distrustful of the other, 
and each determined to gain the ascendency, and 
carry the'vote. The presiding officers, for the time 
being, were critically situated ; and, do right or do 
wrong, bitter imprecations fell on their devoted heads. 



9° 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



The jealousy and distrust ran so high, that they 
agreed to leave the meeting-house, and go put upon 
the Common, each party with their respective leaders : 
accordingly they marched out in Indian file, and pa- 
raded in two parallel lines, so that each, being single, 
might put in his vote without a chance for deception, 
or of voting twice ; and each might be counted, viz. 
the number of voters, and the number of votes given 
in. The town-clerk and selectmen carried the 
ballot-boxes to the voters. The candidates at this 
election were Caleb Mayo, Escp, Federal ; and Eben- 
ezer Williams, Esq., Democratic. On ascertaining' the 
number of votes, E. Williams, Esq., had one hundred 
and forty-eight, and C. Mayo, Esq., had one hundred 
and fifty-four, and was chosen. The language and 
looks and gestures of the contending parties this 
day, the pen of a Miltoji, perhaps, could have ade- 
quately described ; but mine \xould fail in the attempt. 



1806. 

In 1806 Caleb Mayo, Esq., and Josiah Cobb Esq., 
were the opposing candidates, and Esquire Cobb was 
chosen. For the benefit of future generations, I have 
now recited some of the principal incidents in this 
regularly fought battle of the contending political 
parties, presuming that no other record of it is now 
extant, excepting in the memories of our fathers and 
fellow-townsmen, which will soon be lost forever. 

Voted to repair the meeting-house, and to accept of 
the request of Caleb Mayo and others for the town 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



91 



to relinquish their right and privilege, granted them 
by the proprietors, of two of the back seats on each 
•side of the broad aisle on the lower floor, and four- 
teen feet of the seats at the north end of each of the 
side galleries in said meeting-house, so as to enable 
the proprietors to erect four pews on the lower and 
four pews in the gallery of equal size of the other 
pews in said house, the sale of which to defray a part 
of the expense of repairing and painting said house. 
These petitioners were Caleb Mayo, Abraham Ste- 
vens, Daniel Whitney, Jonathan Blake, Nathaniel 
G. Stevens, Benjamin Conant, Josiah Smith, Eben- 
ezer Williams, Zachariah Barber, and John Gale. 

Caleb Mayo, Esq., William Cobb, jun., and Perez 
Allen, were chosen a committee to superintend the 
repairing of the meeting-house. In December the 
town voted their consent that the Baptist society, 
which was partly in Warwick and partly in Royalston, 
should be incorporated. 



1807. 

The town voted two hundred dollars to pay for 
repairing the meeting-house. 



1808. 

This year the town of Warwick and the district of 
Orange voted to send two representatives ; and chose 
Ebenezer Williams, Esq., and Josiah Cobb, Esq. (both 



02 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Democrats). The militia companies of this town 
were called to Hadley.to a division-muster this year ; 
and the town voted to pay the officers and soldiers 
that should attend said muster one dollar each from 
the treasury. Also the town voted to concur with 
the town of Boston in preferring a memorial to the 
President of the United States for the repeal of the 
embargo, and chose Caleb Mayo, Josiah Pomeroy, 
Josiah Proctor, Jonathan Blake, jun., and Justus Rus- 
sell, a committee to prepare a memorial, and adjourned 
the meeting half an hour. On the meeting being 
opened, the following petition was accepted unani- 
mously : — 

7(7 Jiis Excellency Thomas jfefferson, President of the United 
States. 

The petition of the inhabitants of the town of Warwick, 
in the County of Hampshire and Commonwealth of Mas- 
sachusetts, in legal town meeting assembled, beg leave to 
represent : That the inconveniences and privations of 
property already experienced in consequence of the em- 
bargo on the vessels and export-trade of the United States 
fill them with serious apprehensions for the evils that must 
necessarily result from a prohibition of the exports of the 
surplus produce of the present season. 

They sincerely regret the necessity (if such existed) of 
the laws laying an embargo on the extensive navigation of 
the United States, and prohibiting internal intercourse. 
By the first, the commercial enterprise of the New-England 
States, that secured to the former a sure market and high 
price for his produce, is wholly destroyed \ and the grievous 
privations occasioned by the latter have produced in some of 
the less patriotic sufferers a relaxation of principles, and a 



HISTORY OF WARWICK 



93 



contempt for the laws, more to be deplored than the loss of 
property, and more to be feared from its consequences than 
from the hostility of any nation whatever. That professing 
a firm attachment to the constitution of government, under 
which they have enjoyed unexampled prosperity and happi- 
ness, they have in all respects observed a due submission 
to the embargo laws, and measures of your administration, 
however distressing or unequal their operation, and im- 
pressed at all times with the feelings and sentiments of free- 
men, and jealous of their rights as .independent Republi- 
cans, will ever stand ready with their lives and fortunes to 
support the constituted authorities of their country, when- 
ever it is necessary for the defence of those rights and 
privileges so essential to the happiness of the United 
States, and of which they claim an equal share. They 
regret the necessity they are under of calling the particular 
attention of your Excellency to their relief; but are happy in 
the enjoyment of the privilege of peaceably and respectfully 
petitioning for a redress of grievances, whenever they exist. 
And as our national legislature, contemplating a change 
of circumstances that might render the embargo unneces- 
sary, have vested in you the power of suspending its opera- 
tions, and humbly conceiving that such a change has taken 
place as will justify the measure, they have a full confidence 
in your early attention to the true interests of your countr}^, 
and the suffering of its citizens. 

Your petitioners therefore pray your Excellency, in pur- 
suance of the aforesaid power, to suspend the operations of 
the embargo, in whole or in part, as your superior wisdom 
shall direct, and as in duty bound shall ever pray. 

Which was signed by the aforesaid committee. 

It was then voted that the selectmen sign the peti- 
tion, and transmit it to the President of the United 
States. 



94 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

l8l2. 

This year it was voted that the selectmen procure 
a funeral hearse with four wheels (the former funeral 
carriage had but two) ; and it was voted to raise fifty- 
dollars to pay for the same.* 

On the thirty-first day of July, 1812, Rev. Samuel 
Reed died, aged fifty-seven years, having been minis- 
ter in the town nearly thirty-three years. In Septem- 
ber the town voted two hundred dollars to defray his 
funeral expenses, and to procure preaching the re- 
mainder of the year ; and chose Caleb Mayo, Ebenezer 
Pierce, Samuel Ball, Justus Russell, and William Cobb, 
a committee to provide some person or persons to 
supply the pulpit until the next annual meeting. 

I will herp record as a matter of history a brief ac- 
count of the Franklin Glass-Factory Company's pro- 
ceedings in this town, with the rise and origin of 
that presumptuous adventure, its short but moment- 
ous life, its premature and lamented death. 

This year Dr. Ebenezer Hall, an inhabitant and 
practising physician in this town, possessing a con- 
siderable share of natural powers of mind, and a 
peculiarly fascinating and alluring address, more bril- 
liant than solid, more theoretical and visionary than 
practical and real, conceived the idea that he could 
make glass. After a few experiments, not, however, 
attended with very flattering prospects of success, he 
had the good fortune (or rather misfortune) by his 
persuasive and flattering tongue to inspire many of 

* This hearse is the same that we now use ; viz., 1832. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



95 



his neighbors and friends with a behef in the sound- 
ness of his theories, and the certain prospects of suc- 
cess that awaited them provided they would embarlc 
in the undertalving, and assist liim to erect suitable 
buildings, procure workmen, and provide materials. 
Numbers of the solid and persevering cultivators of 
the soil, captivated by his Utopian schemes, were in- 
duced to lay aside the plough, the axe, and the spade, 
and mortgage their possessions, and lend their names 
and their influence to the proposed undertaking. 

After considerable delay and many perplexing oc- 
currences, they succeeded in completing the buildings 
of the manufactory and dwellings for the workmen ; 
and, having cast sand and salt and potash into the fire, 
it came out glass. 

New adventurers were added to the list ; and consid- 
erable assistance was received from abroad : men of 
wealth and ambition were induced to come in and 
share in the prospective dividends that so surely 
awaited them. 

They finally succeeded in making excellent cylin- 
der glass ; * and were incorporated by the General 
Court, under the name of the Franklin Glass-Manu- 
facturing Company, in Warwick. They did consider- 
able business for a while, having obtained the confi- 
dence of the public generally. But a scarcity of 
money prevailing in the community tested the solv- 
ency of their capital : the banks refused to discount 
for a while ; and this proved a death-blow to all their 
operations. The fact was, that the business had been 

* The first melting of glass blown here was on Sunday, Sept. 5, 1813. 



96 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



got up and commenced without funds, or any knowl- 
edge or experience in the art of manufacturing glass : 
they had procured a foreigner (a Scotchman) of con- 
siderable ability, but of questionable integrity, to 
superintend their business, both in erecting the 
buildings, and superintending the workmen. They 
paid him extravagant wages ; and, what was worse than 
that, they were subjected to his complete control, not 
having the ability or power to calculate for themselves, 
for want of knowledge in the art : they were conse- 
quently compelled to submit to his directions, and 
follow his ludicrous whims, however expensive, through- 
out all their various operations, to the no small detri- 
ment of their business and their purse. Workmen 
were also procured, and very high wages paid to them, 
and to those that understood blowing glass : months 
passed away before they were wanted ; and large 
bounties in addition to all this were paid them to buy 
them off from their former employers, under the false 
pretext that it would be impossible to procure that 
particular kind of artisans unless the utmost secrecy 
was observed, and a liberal bonus offered as a tempta- 
tion to induce them to leave other factories, and re- 
move their families to this new and untried scene of 
operation. 

The transactions of the Company had been carried 
on hitherto with too little attention to economy, 
which is so needful and necessary in all such estab- 
lishments, especially in their infancy ; and it could not 
withstand, all circumstances combined, the financial • 
shock ; and it sank to rise no more. Thus ended the 
speculations of the time : thus died the hopes of its 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



97 



friends ; and thus were blighted the quixotic visions of 
its deluded projector. But the void that remained 
after their dissolution was not so easily to be filled up 
— in particular, the ruined fortunes of many of the 
industrious inhabitants of this town, which must 
require years of untiring industry to amend and re- 
trieve. 

In December, 1813, the town voted their consent 
that the Universalist society in said town should be 
incorporated, with all the privileges and immunities 
granted to other reli^rious societies. 



1814. 

This year the present pound was built : it was put 
up at auction, and struck off to Mr. Elliot Rawson 
for thirty-eight dollars. 

In June the town voted unanimously to concur 
with the church in giving the Rev. Preserved Smith, 
jun., a call to settle in the gospel ministry in the town 
of Warwick; and a committee of nine persons was 
chosen to inform Mr. Smith of the proceedings of the 
town ; viz., Caleb Mayo, Ebenezer Pierce, Samuel 
Ball, Dr. Medad Pomeroy, Jonathan Blake, Justus 
Russell, William Cobb, Elijah Fisk, and Perley Leland. 
The town voted to grant Mr. Smith five hundred 
dollars annually for an encouragement to him to settle 
with us in the gospel ministry, and to pay him the 
first year's salary quarterly. 

Sept. 5, it was voted to accept Mr. Smith's answer 
reported by the committee as follows, viz. : — 



98 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



To the Church and Society in the Town of Wanvick. 

My Christian Friends, — Having received by your 
committee an invitation to settle among you in the gospel 
ministry, I have endeavored to bestow all that attention to 
the subject which its importance demands. If I rightly 
understand the purport of the call you have been pleased 
to give me, I am to receive my stipend annually, so long as 
I continue your pastor. 

Laying the above construction upon the subject, I do now, 
after having earnestly supplicated wisdom from the true 
source of all perfection to direct me in this decision, present 
you with this notice of my compliance with your request. 
In this procedure I have been influenced by the unanimous 
voice which so far prevailed in your exertions to re-establish 
a stated ministry, and in your proceedings towards electing 
me to that sacred office. And, in thus complying with your 
request, I trust I have studied duty and those things that 
may promote our mutual peace and happiness. It is not 
without fear and diffidence that I accept the important trust 
which you have judged expedient to devolve upon me : with 
diffidence, lest I do not possess those endowments which are 
of so high importance in constituting a faithful and success- 
ful minister of Christ ; with fear, lest I should not discharge 
my functions to the glory of God, and to the saving of your 
souls. I therefore ask your Christian candor that you 
would look on me as composed of the same perishable 
materials as yourselves ; that you accept my services, how 
imperfect soever they may seem in your opinion, as being 
the result of sincere intentions. For I feel the force of the 
apostle's exclamation, "Who is sufficient for these things?" 
Who is equal to this arduous work ? And, while I bear your 
eternal interests in my remembrance at the throne of 
grace, I earnestly entreat you to commend me in your 
prayers to the great Head of the Church, that the divine 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 99 

grace, which alone is profitable to instruct and direct, may 
be my guide ; that, when I have proclaimed the glorious 
prize of immortality to others, I shall not at last be rejected, 
as unfit for it, myself. Notwithstanding the gospel treasure 
of unspeakable value has been committed to earthen vessels, 
yet the power that accompanies its promulgation is derived 
from God. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us, as fellow- 
soldiers in the Christian warfare, to offer our united prayers 
to Deity, that his blessings may attend the ministration of 
his word, that not only our immortal interests may be pro- 
moted, but the glory of his moral government advanced, 
and the great laws of it more generally obeyed ; that all 
who hear the voice of Christ may acknowledge him as the 
only Bishop of their souls, as in the Redeemer's kingdom 
there shall be only one fold and one Shepherd. 

Bearing •such reflections in mind, let us ever adhere with 
firm and inflexible steadiness to our Christian profession, 
and aim at making continual improvement in it, from a full 
persuasion that our labors in love, and attention to Christi- 
anity, will finally be accompanied with a glorious reward. 

Preserved Smith, Jr. 

It was proposed in town-meeting to choose a com- 
mittee of five, to transact the business of the ordina- 
tion ; and chose William Cobb, Ashbel Ward, William 
Burnett, jun., Perez Allen, and Justus Russell ; and it 
was voted that the expense of the ordination be drawn 
out of the ministry money then in the treasury. 
Accordingly the Rev. Preserved Smith, jun., was or- 
dained as pastor over the First Congregational Church 
and Society in Warwick, on Oct. 12, 18 14. 

In April, 18 15, a report of a committee on the 
petition of Caleb Mayo, Esq., in favor of Widow 



loo HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Abigail Reed, was reported to the town, and accepted, 
which was as follows ; viz. : — 

We, the subscribers, being appointed a committee at 
the annual meeting in March last to take into consideration 
the request of Caleb Mayo, Esq., for, and in behalf of, the 
widow of the late Rev. Samuel Reed, have attended to the 
business of our appointment, and report as follows : — 

That, in examining the former records, Mr. Reed was 
settled in the gospel ministrj^ in this town in 1779, and was 
to receive his stipend in proportion to rye at three shillings 
and sixpence, and corn at two shillings and ninepence, per 
bushel, and pork at threepence half-penny per pound, from 
an incorporated society; and that he continued to receive 
his salary in full for fifteen years. We find, by contract 
'entered into the third of March, 1794, Mr. Reed did be- 
come the town's minister, and after that to receive his salary 
in silver and gold ; and we do not find by any of the records 
that he received any thing different from his stated salary 
for ten years from that date ; and in further examination we 
find that from 1804 to 18 11, which is eight years, Mr. Reed 
received $312.75 more than his stated salary. We learn 
that when Mr. Reed became the town's minister he received 
a certain sum of the town's monej^, and secured the town 
by mortgage of his real estate. We learn by Mrs. Reed's 
signing the mortgage she is debarred of any dowry in his 
real estate. We also learn that by the aid of Mrs. Reed's 
friends, before the judge of probate, she is to receive 
$200.00 out of Mr. Reed's estate for her own use and dis- 
posal. We also learn, that, since Mr. Reed's decease, Mrs. 
Reed, by the aid of her friends, has had the good fortune 
to get upon the list of the Massachusetts Congregational 
Charitable Society for the relief of destitute widows and 
children of deceased ministers, and has. for two years past 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. loi 

received about thirty dollars per year, and will probably 
continue to receive her proportion of the money in the 
funds of said society. After learning all these facts, we, 
your committee, are unanimously of opinion that it will be 
more for the harmony of the citizens of this town to have 
the business indefinitely postponed than to take any further 
measures upon it. 

All which is submitted by your committee. 

Justus Russell, ^ 

Perez Allen, ? Committee. 

Joseph Draper, ) 

In April, 1817, the town voted to accept the follow- 
ing report ; viz. :^ 

The subscribers, having been appointed a committee, 
at the annual meeting in March last, to take into consider- 
ation the fifteenth article in the warrant of said meeting, 
relative to the ministry and school funds in the town of 
Warwick, report their opinion, viz. : That eight dollars and 
seventy-six cents of the interest of the unapplied ministry- 
money now in the treasury be added to the ministry-fund, 
in order to increase the fund to nine hundred dollars. And 
that the sum of one dollar of the overlays of the town-tax 
the present year be added to the school-fund in order to 
increase that fund to five hundred dollars ; and that all the 
loans of said funds now existing, excepting what is secured 
by mortgage of real estate, shall, on or before the first day 
of January next, be collected, and paid into the treasury, or 
be secured by mortgage of real estate ; and that the said 
funds, after that date, should be loaned by the selectmen of 
the town to the inhabitants of the town of Warwick, in 
sums not less than one hundred dollars, nor over two hun- 
9* 



I02 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

dred dollars, to be secured by mortgage of real estate to 
double the amount, to be appraised by the selectmen of said 
town ; and the person or persons that shall not pay the 
interest to the treasurer on or before the first day of Janu- 
ary, annually, shall not be entitled to the continuance of said 
loan ; and that no person shall have a loan a longer time 
than three years at a time, on condition that others want it 
for equally good security. 

Joshua Atwood, \ 

Justus Russell, > Committee. 

AsHBEL Ward, ) 

At an adjournment of this meeting, it was voted to 
reconsider a part of the report of the committee re- 
specting the ministry and school funds, so as to extend 
the time of payment to ten years, upon the condition 
of paying ten per cent of the principal annually, and 
the interest on such sums as may be loaned to the 
inhabitants of said town. 

At the adjournment in May it was voted to build a 
powder-magazine for the security of the town-stores, 
as follows, viz. : Eight feet square, to be built of good, 
well-burnt bricks laid in lime mortar, the walls to be 
seven feet high, with a square roof, well boarded and 
shingled, and to be ceiled with good white pine boards 
planed on the inside, and a good, double floor well 
nailed ; the door to be double, with a good lock and 
key ; the walls to be eight inches thick ; and a founda- 
tion of flat stones to be built in a workmanlike man- 
ner. A committee of three was chosen to superintend 
the building of said magazine ; viz., Amos K. Whit- 
ney, Caleb Mayo, William Cobb. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



1818. 



103 



April 4, 1818, voted to accept the report of the 
committee respecting the purchase of the burying- 
groLind as follows : — 

The subscribers, having been chosen a committee to com- 
plete the purchase of land of Mr. Bunyan Penniman for an 
addition to the burying-ground, have attended that service, 
and report as follows : That we have obtained a deed of 
said Penniman of one acre and fifty rods of land, measur- 
ing fifteen rods on the road, fifteen rods on the south line, 
twelve rqds on the west line, and fifteen rods and thirteen 
links on the north line, and have paid him sixty-five dollars 
and sixty-two cents as a consideration for the same, it being 
understood that the town is to fence said land. 

Caleb Mayo, ) ^ 

,T, ^ \ torn Dili tee. 

William Cobb, \ 

It was voted that the same committee that pur- 
chased the ground to make an addition to the bury- 
ing-ground be a committee to fence the same. 

It was wisely said by the wise king of Israel that 
" iJicre is a time for every thing ; " and purchasing this 
spot of ground to enlarge our burying-place was one 
of those transactions that was jDerformed in its proper 
time. A more judicious and timely act is not to be 
found on our public records. 

1820. 

In August, 1820, a meeting of the inhabitants of 
the town was convened, on the question whether it 



I04. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK 



was expedient that delegates should be chosen to 
meet in convention to amend the Constitution of this 
Commonwealth. On sorting and counting the votes, 
it appeared that there were thirty-two votes against 
it, and forty-three in favor of the measure. 

In October, Jonathan Blake, jun., was chosen a dele- 
gate to attend the aforesaid convention. 

1821. 

In April, 1821, the articles of amendment proposed 
by the convention for alteri^ig the constitution of the 
State were laid before the town for their approval or 
rejection ; and but two out of the fourteen articles 
were accepted ; viz., the eighth and fourteenth. The 
amendments were not popular in this town. 

A brief account of the tornado that passed over 
the south part of Warwick, an occurrence that may 
well be remembered by many of the sufferers, but 
which, for the information of posterity, ought to be 
preserved, as a very frightful, destructive, and uncom- 
mon occurrence : — 

On the ninth day of September, 1821, a tremendous 
whirlwind passed over the south part of this town, 
most appalling and terrific in its appearance, and 
most destructive in its consequences. I was an eye- 
witness of this most sublime and astonishing phe- 
nomenon of Nature ; and language is too feeble to 
express my feelings, or to properly and accurately 
describe the majestic and interesting scene. 

It was on the day instituted by our benevolent 
Creator for a day of rest that this awful calamity 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 105 

befell US, when, if ever (after the solemn services of 
the sanctuary are ended), the minds of rational and 
intelligent beings are composed and calm, and the 
benign and beneficial influences of religion pervade 
the heart. Just as the sun was sinking behind the 
western hills, an appearance of agitation or concus- 
sion was discovered in the clouds: slight showers 
of rain had fallen in several places in this vicinity 
during the afternoon, and the heat had been oppres- 
sive. The commotion in the clouds had something 
of the appearance of the angry billows of the ocean 
when raging at the utmost extent of their fury. 
These agitations and concussions soon blended to- 
gether, and assumed a form, which at first sight 
resembled a column of smoke ascending from the 
conflagration of a building, or the burning of pine 
timber on new lands ; but it soon became more com- 
pactly embodied and mor^ visible, and moved along 
with a majesty and grandeur inexpressibly surprising, 
powerful, and great. Its appearance was in the 
shape of an inverted cone : the bottom, like the besom 
of destruction, swept every thing before it ; and the 
top besieged the heavens. The embodied appearance 
of this elemental strife was black, dense, solid, and 
compact ; and it sustained its form with all the regu- 
larity of a magnificent temple. It moved almost 
direct from the west towards the east : detached 
pieces of buildings, such as timber, boards, shingles, 
limbs of trees, leaves, grass, and, in short, fragments 
of every kind, were thrown out of its vortex in every 
direction, filling and darkening the air. Birds, espe- 
cially hawks and crows, were sailing round and round. 



io6 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

high in the air aloof from the storm, expressing their 
dismay by dismal screams. But above all the tre- 
mendous crashing, stunning, deafening noise, not 
unlike heav}'- thunder or the internal bellowings of an 
earthquake, which caused the earth to tremble under 
us, and seemed to forebode its final dissolution, it 
filled us with sensations too sublime and too awful to 
be adequately expressed. Thus far I have described 
the visible appearance and movement of this scene of 
terror and destruction ; and now I will attempt to give 
a short and imperfect account of its effects. 

Its first appearance in the clouds was discovered 
to be not far from Connecticut River. It was high up 
from the water, and did not begin its work of destruc- 
tion until it came in contact with the earth, near the 
top of the high ridge of land called Northfield Moun- 
tains. The first building it destroyed was Mr. Garland's 
house ; the next were Chapin Holden's house and barn : 
these buildings were in Northfield. Mr. Joseph Will- 
son's house and barn in Warwick were, entirely torn 
from their foundations, and some of his family badly 
injured. Mr. Elisha Brown's house was also destroyed ; 
and one of his daughters, about thirteen years of age, 
buried in the ruins, and killed : another daughter 
was permanently injured. These were in Warwick. 
In the north-westerly part of Orange, Capt. Moses 
Smith's tavern-house, with barns and sheds, were all_ 
swept away in a moment. In the twinkling of an eye 
they were scattered in every direction.; and a young 
woman by the name of Stearns, about eighteen years 
of age, in the bloom of youth (an inmate of the house), 
was thus instantly called to her final account. Only 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



107 



the two persons above mentioned perished ; but many 
were severely wounded. Some cattle were killed, and 
others much injured. Five dwelling-houses and thir- 
teen barns were either entirely destroyed or unroofed ; 
and many more sustained some damage. 

It is impossible to describe this scene of destruction 
the morning after the calamity. The resistless fury of 
the wind had laid low the dwellings and other build- 
ings of many of our townsmen and friends. Wood- 
land, orchards, stone walls, and even large rocks, were 
no impediment to its force.* The wake of the 
whirlwind was literally covered with wood, timber, 
boards, shingles, hay, straw, and fragments of every 
thing conceivable. Heavy logs that had lain years on 
the ground, and were embedded considerably in the 
soil, were torn out of their resting-places, and in many 
instances were broken to pieces. Several rocks that 
would weigh a ton or more were started from their 
beds, and moved a considerable distance. Household 
furniture and clothing were strewed over the ground, 
rent and torn, and dashed to pieces. Many articles of 
value were found in other towns east, of us, and 
a few of them were not materially injured. A part of 
the roof of a building was found twenty-five miles 
from the place whence it was taken ; and a part 
of a leaf of an account-book was found in Groton, 
about sixty miles from the house where it was de- 
posited in a chamber. The next day after this awful 
visitation the to.wn assembled, and chose a committee 
to ascertain the loss of the inhabitants, and agreed to 

* See Appendix, page 1S8. 



io8 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

raise four hundred dollars, to be distributed among the 
sufferers in proportion to each one's loss, or as nearly 
so as the committee should think proper. 



IS22. 

In 1822 a committee was chosen to rejDort the best 
method to be pursued by the town in choosing, or- 
ganizing, and empowering our school committee in 
future. 

The report of this committee contains sentiments 
honorable and laudable in themselves, and of great 
importance to the town ; and it is a matter of regret 
that we have so soon forgotten such salutary advice. 

Here follows the report, viz. : — 

The subscribers having been chosen a committee to 
report a plan for the better regulation and examination of 
the schools in the town of Warwick, — impressed with the 
opinion that the subject of the education of youth, as it re- 
spects science and morals, which are by law required to be 
taught in our common schools, is of the highest importance 
to society ; that there cannot be too much attention and 
patronage given to this subject by the public ; that a well- 
regulated and uniform system of instruction throughout the 
several school-districts in the town would be of great ad- 
vantage to the community, — to effect the above the follow- 
ing is respectfully submitted : — 

ist. That it is expedient to choose a committee annual- 
ly : that this committee consist of two persons, whose duty 
it shall be (together with the minister of the town) to visit 
and inspect the several schools twice in a season ; viz., 
near the commencement, and before the close, of the winter 
term. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



109 



2d. As strangers and foreigners from different parts of 
the country are frequently intrusted with the charge of in- 
structing our children, therefore that this committee be au- 
thorized to recommend and introduce such modes of instruc- 
tion, and such books, as, in their judgment, are best adapted 
to promote the great object for which our schools were 
established. 

3d. Tiiat any person presuming to take the charge of 
any school within the limits of the town, as an instructor, 
shall be required to produce to the committee of the district 
who contracts with him, and to the examining committee on 
their first examination, such credentials as the law requires. 

4th. That as large sums of money have been frequently 
paid to those whose services as instructors have been injuri- 
ous, rather than beneficial, to our youth, that this committee, 
noting any such defect on their first examination, shall 
report the same to the district in which he may be engaged. 

5th. That this committee (the minister excepted) re- 
ceive from the town a reasonable compensation for their 
services if performed agreeable to the foregoing report. 

Amos Taylor, 1 

Lemuel Wheelock, 

Joseph Stevens, ;- Commiiiee. 

JosiAH Proctor, I 

James Goldsbury, j 

The town voted to accept of this report, and chose 
a committee of two persons, agreeable to its recom- 
mendation ; but how soon have they forgotten or dis- 
regarded these useful hints ! 

In 1823 the present hearse-house was built, under 
the superintendence of Abijah Eddy, Isaac Hastings, 



no HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

jun., and William Cobb, — a committee chosen by the 
town for that purpose. 

1824. 

In 1824 the meeting-house was painted, and the 
windows and plastering repaired. 

1832. 

On the 23d of April, 1832, a number of the inhabit- 
ants of Warwick turned out voluntarily, and procured 
and set out about sixty rock-maple trees around the 
burying-ground, and a spruce-tree in the centre, and 
one each side of the south gate. 

Thus, in an imperfect manner, I have detailed to 
you the origin of many of the principal events that 
have transpired in this place since civilized man has 
claimed dominion over it ; and, in closing, perhaps a 
few observations on the situation of the town, the 
productions of the soil, manners of the inhabitants, 
longevity, &c., will not be misplaced. 

Warwick is situated in the north-east corner of 
Franklin County, seventy-seven and a half miles from 
Boston by the stage-road, and twenty miles from 
Greenfield (the shire-town of the county), having the 
State of 'New Hampshire on the north, and joining 
Winchester and Richmond in that State ; on the east 
by Royalston in the County of Worcester, and 
Orange in the County of Franklin ; south on an unin- 
corporated tract of land called Erving's Grant ; west 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. m 

on said grant, and the town of Northfield. It con- 
tained originally twenty-three thousand acres of land 
before the south-east corner of it was set off to 
Orange. The surface is broken and hilly, and a high 
hill called Mount Grace occupies a very prominent 
station near the centre of the town. In many places 
the soil is so rocky and broken as to render it unfit 
for cultivation : in other places, tolerably good ; not so 
suitable for English grain as for grass, corn, and po- 
tatoes. The principal exports are beef, cattle, butter, 
and cheese ; but not so much of these as formerly. 
Braiding straw and palm-leaf hats is the principal 
occupation of the women, excepting attending to the 
dairy and other household affairs. The inhabitants, 
generally speaking, are hardy, industrious, and perse- 
vering, principally cultivators of the earth ; sober, 
intelligent, and of steady habits, averse to idleness, 
and aloof from extreme poverty : perhaps as much on 
an equality as any town in the Commonwealth, — none 
extravagantly rich, and none miserably poor. The 
climate is healthy and the air salubrious, and the 
water is not surpassed by any on earth. The princi- 
pal disease is consumption ; not exempt, however, from 
fevers, and the numberless little petty diseases inci- 
dent to man. Only one person has ever died in this 
town that was over one hundred years of age ; and 
that was a Mrs. Willson, who was about one hundred 
and two years old when she died. As a proof of the 
longevity of its inhabitants, in a population of eleven 
hundred and fifty, there are now living forty-six indi- 
viduals over seventy years of age, — twenty-three 
men and twenty-three women. Twenty-five of them 



112 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

are over eighty years, — thirteen men and twelve 
women ; three over ninety years, — two men and one 
woman ; the oldest man ninety-three years, the 
oldest woman ninety-one years. The aggregate ages 
of the thirteen men that exceed eighty years is eleven 
hundred and four years ; and of the twelve women, 
ten hundred and ninety-seven years : total aggregate 
amount of the twenty-five oldest persons is two thou- 
sand two hundred and one years. It is presumed this 
falls years short of the exact truth, as there are no 
fractions counted, although some of them amount to 
almost a year. 

There is now the Congregational society in this 
town, Rev. Preserved Smith, pastor, which comprises 
about one half of the voters and taxable property ; a 
Universalist incorporated society ; part of a Baptist 
society, incorporated with a part of Royalston, Elder 
Marshal, minister ; part of another Baptist society, 
who are connected with some of the inhabitants of 
Erving's Grant and New Salem, Elder John Shepard- 
son, teacher ; and a few Methodists who belong to a 
Methodist society in Northfield, and have a meeting- 
house in the South Woods (so called). Here follows 
a list of the names of all the persons that have ever 
been chosen and served as town-officers, with the 
number of years they served, when known.* There 
have been two settled ministers of the Congregational 
order before the present one. Rev. Preserved Smith ; 
viz., Rev. Lemuel Hedge and Rev. Samuel Reed. 

Rev. Lemuel Hedge was ordained, and a church 

* See Appendix, page 192. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



113 



gathered, Dec. 3, 1760. Rev. Mr. Forbes of Brook- 
field preached the sermon from ist Tuiiothy, 4th chap., 
6th verse. Ministers- present, — Mr. Forbes, Mr. 
Hubbard of Northfield. Mr. Frink of Rutland Dis- 
trict was moderator, and gave the charge. The 
covenant was signed by Lemuel Hedge, David Ayres, 
Ebenezer Davis, Ephraim Perry, David Burnett, John 
Farrar, Asa Robbins, Charles Woods, James Ball, 
Jediithan Morse, Amzi Doolittle, and Si'as Town. 
Rev. Lemuel Hedge died Oct. 17, 1777, in the forty- 
seventh year of his age, and the seventeenth of his 
ministry. The sermon at his funeral was preached 
by the Rev. Bunker Gay of Hinsdale, N.H. Rev. 
Samuel Reed was ordained Sept. 23, 1779, and died 
July 31, 18 1 2. Rev. Joseph Lee of Royalston 
preached the sermon at his funeral. There was a 
great congregation present. Rev. Preserved Smith, 
jun., was ordained Oct. 12, 18 14, and still remains 
here (viz., 1832). There has been one Universalist 
minister, the Rev. Caleb Rich, and two Baptist minis- 
ters, the Rev. Levi Hodge, and Rev. John Shep- 
ardson, that have resided in town previous to the 
above date. 

Almost one generation has passed away since 
I commenced and wrote the first part of the history 
of Warwick. The first settlers have all passed off 
the stage' of action ; and most of the then aged and 
worthy members of society have followed them to 
their final resting-place, — the grave. Those then in 
t\iQ prime of manhood are either dead, or tottering in 
old age ; those that were young then are bearing the 



114 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

public burdens, and filling the ranks made thin by the 
great Destroyer ; and those unborn at that time have 
arrived to adult age, and are busily employed on the 
great theatre of life. The grand object of the his- 
torian ought to be a desire to perpetuate the truth, to 
transmit to all coming time a fair record of all the pass- 
ing events, uninfluenced by present party-feelings, and 
above all disguise and hypocritical cant. 

Now (in 1854) a blank of twenty-two years is to 
be filled ; and I shall begin where I left off in 1832. 

1833. 

In 1833 some proposed amendments to the con- 
stitution of the State were laid before the town for 
their approval or rejection ; and there were one hun- 
dred and eighteen yeas to nine nays. 

1834. 

In 1834 the school-fund was separated from the 
ministerial fund ; and the town voted that it should 
be loaned on land security : it amounted to five hun- 
dred dollars. 

This year the town built a new pound ; and also 
the school-districts were defined anew by a committee 
chosen for that purpose, consisting of Jonathan Blake, 
jun., Josiah Proctor, and Lemuel Wheelock. 

1836. 
In 1836 the first religious society in Warwick (Uni- 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



115 



tarian) built a new meeting-house, which is now stand- 
ing (in 1854), being the third house built for, or by, 
that society. It stands a little west of where the two 
others stood, and on the west side of the county-road. 
It is not large, but a neat, well-proportioned edifice, 
erected by subscription of the members of the parish, 
at a cost of about three thousand dollars. The house 
contains sixty slips, or pews, which will seat five 
grown persons each : no gallery except in front, ex- 
pressly for the singers. It has a fine-toned bell, 
weighing a thousand and eighty-nin« pounds, which 
cost three hundred and fifty dollars, which is in- 
cluded in the first-mentioned sum. This was the first 
church-bell that was ever purchased in Warwick. 
The above bell was warranted for one year ; and before 
the year was out it broke, and was returned to Boston 
and exchanged for another which was a few pounds 
lighter, without any cost to the society except the 
freight each way, and the trouble attending. This bell 
was also warranted for one year, and lasted until early 
in 1 84 1, when it gave out also. The society then 
thought it best to try at Ames's foundry in Spring- 
field, carried the old bell there, and exchanged for a 
new one, of about the same weight, and paid the dif- 
ference between old metal and new : this bell remains 
sound to this day; viz.> 1865. 

The house has a well-finished vestry in the base- 
ment, for the use of the sabbath school, public meet- 
ings, &c. The subscribers chose Jonathan Blake, 
jun., Joseph Stevens, and Samuel Moore, a committee, 
to contract for building the house, and superintending 
its erection. It was raised the eighth day of September, 



ii6 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

1836. The hands that raised the meeting-house took 
dinner at Asa Taft's Hotel with the architect and 
contractor, Mr. Chapin Holden, two ministers, two 
doctors, two deacons, and the building-committee by 
invitation, numbering in all seventy-four. The pews 
were appraised by a committee, and then put up at 
auction for a choice, and all sold, bringing four hun- 
dred and seven dollars more than the cost of the 
house, which was expended in furniture for the house, 
and in finishing the vestry.* 

There was an Orthodox society formed in 1829, in 
this town, partly from seceders from the first society 
(Unitarian), and a few others, and organized a church, 
consisting of thirty members ; and in 1833 they built 
a meeting-house, at a cost of about thirteen hundred 
dollars. This house stands on the land formerly occu- 
pied by the Franklin Glass-Factory Company, and 
near where their main buildings were located, and is 
a short distance south of the town's common and the 
Unitarian meeting-house. On the sixth day of Novem- 
ber, 1833, the Rev. Samuel Kingsbury was settled as 
their pastor. He preached for them about two years, 
and was then dismissed. The Rev. Roger C. Hatch 
was ordained as their second pastor on the twenty- 
third day of December, 1835, and was dismissed June 
22, 1853. 

In 1840, at the April meeting, an article of amend- 
ment to the constitution of the State was voted on ; 
and there were eighty-three yeas, and fourteen 
nays. 

In 1850 the school-districts were regularly and 

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HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



117 



lawfully bounded by the selectmen by proper metes 
and bounds ; and a high stone monument with stones 
about it, and the number of the district on its face at 
each angle and corner ; and the eleventh district 
altered to ten ; and districts No. 3 and No. 9 were 
united ; and ten permanent districts formed, and ac- 
cepted by the town. 

A dispute about the line between Widow Rhoda 
VVheelock's thirds and the town-common was this 
year settled by a reference composed of Richard Col- 
ton of Northfield, Ozias Roberts of Gill, and Jered 
Weed of Petersham. 

They were chosen mutually by the selectmen and the 
said Widow Wheelock ; and their award was accepted 
by the parties, and the north-east corner of the com- 
mon permanently established. 

In 1 85 I the legal voters of the town were called 
upon to give in their votes in favor of, or against, call- 
ing a convention to amend and revise the State con- 
stitution : yeas, 113; nays, 71. 

In 1852 they were again called to vote on the same 
question, when a hundred and twenty-eight voted in 
favor of calling a convention, and sixty-nine against 
it. 

In 1853 they chose Samuel W. Spooner a delegate 
to the convention to be convened at Boston to make 
amendments to the constitution of the State. 

At the November meeting following they were 
called upon to accept or refuse the adoption of the 
new constitution as amended, and to be laid before 
the people : and the votes were, for adopting the same, 
a hundred and seven votes ; opposed to it, sixty-six 
votes. 



ii8 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

The money voted to be raised by the town this 
year, 1853, viz., is as follows : — 

For the support of poor, and other contingent 

expenses ....... $1,500.00 

For repairing highways ..... 800.00 

For schools ....... 700.00 



Total . . $3,000.00 

School-money received from the State . . $48.95 

Interest of the Town School-Fund . . . 30.00 

Total expended for schooling this year . . 778-95 

Amount of town debts ..... $1,338.00 

Number of ratable polls in town, two hundred and forty- 
four. 

There are now four religious societies in Warwick ; 
viz., one Unitarian, one Orthodox, one Baptist, one 
Universalist, and a few Methodists that belong to a 
society in Northfield. 

The Universalist society was incorporated in Febru- 
ary, 1814: they have no meeting-house. The other 
three societies have each of them one, situated in or 
near the middle of the town. 

There is no settled minister of any denomination 
in the town at the present time, There is but one 
doctor, Amos Taylor, who came herein 1815 or 1816. 

There is no lawyer: never had but one, Henry 
Barnard, Esq. Not many very important or interest- 
ing events have transpired in the past twenty-two 
years. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



119 



Public and private affairs have moved on in the 
current of time, with their usual progressive, but not 
very exciting", fluctuations. Party spirit has been kejDt 
alive, and has marked out its alternate rise and fall of 
the contending parties. 

For the largest share of the time the Democratic 
party has been in the ascendency, and carried a ma- 
jority of the votes. At this time the Whig and Dem- 
ocratic parties are nearly balanced ; and the Free-soil 
party numbers nearly one-fifth of the votes. 

The town has gradually decreased in the number of 
its inhabitants for thirty years past, as will be seen by 
the census. 

The farms, as a general thing, are not so productive 
as they were- forty years ago. Many pieces of tillage- 
land are nearly worn out (as we term it). Peach-trees 
are a complete failure ; and not one-tenth joart so many 
apples are now raised as at that time. The trees have 
become old and decayed, and but few young ones are 
set out to replace them, although some attention has 
been paid to grafting of late. The pasture-lands, which 
were formerly good, have greatly deteriorated, and are 
almost covered with noxious bushes, brakes, and ferns ; 
and they yield comparatively little to their former prod- 
ucts. The hay is also reduced in quantity as well as 
quality. Less rye and wheat is raised than formerly, 
but quite as much Indian corn ; oats less, and barley 
probably more. The greatest manufacturing interest 
in the town is its lumber. Large quantities of white- 
pine timber have been manufactured here in times. past : 
the old growth is becoming scarce, being nearly all 
cut oft^. Considerable quantities of the second growth 



I20 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

of pines are now sawed into pail-staves, and other 
articles of various kinds. The hard wood is worked 
into chair-stufF, brush-woods, and broom-handles. 

There are fifteen saw-mills in the town, which an- 
nually send to market more than one million feet of 
lumber. There are three pail-stave shops, and three 
or four shops with circular saws attached, to cut chair- 
plank and many other small articles ; one axe-shop, 
three blacksmith-shops, and three tanneries ; three 
stores (one of them is a small union-store), one tavern, 
and one post-office. The decline of population and 
of business in this town may be mainly attributed to 
its exclusion from the privilege of a railroad passing 
through it ; while all the adjoining towns but one have 
a railroad dep6t to accommodate them, and facilitate 
the transportation of their productions to market. 

Although I know little of geology, I am induced to 
believe, from the few discoveries that have been made 
by scientific men, and the many indications so appar- 
ent on its surface, of mineral productions, that War- 
wick will one day be rich in her inexhaustible stores of 
iron and lead and copperas and firestone, and many 
other valuable and useful articles in manufactures and 
commerce. 

Little, however, has been discovered yet ; but that 
little may authorize us to expect an abundant supply 
of many of the foregoing articles, and others, perhaps, 
not now thought of 

I will state, from memory and traditionary lore, some 
facts and discoveries which I myself have seen, or 
heard from others. As to iron-ore, that is abundant 
in many places witliin the town, I know very well. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 121 

As to the extent of the bog-ore I cannot say; 
but I can say, that, within my memory, the sound of 
the trip-hammer was regularly heard from day to day, 
and iron of the best quality was there manufactured. 
I have now a small piece of chain which was made 
from that ore : it is strong, tough, and very malleable. 
For many years it was used with a draught-chain on 
the ground to draw logs and timber ; and seldom would 
a link break in that chain, although not more than 
half the size of the other. 

For want of proper encouragement, or want of 
funds, or for some other cause to me unknown, the 
business was stopped. I have heard it stated that the 
ore failed ; and well it might, as but one little spot was 
ever opened or searched out to my knowledge ; and 
milHons of tons may now lie concealed above and be- 
low that place, and may forever lie so concealed, unless 
some accidental discovery, or some scientific research, 
is made to bring it to light. The old forge stood about 
two miles southerly from the centre of the town, and 
a little below Morse's Pond, near where Dea. George 
W. Moore's saw-mill now is. 

About one mile south of this place is Round Motui- 
tain (so called) : on its north-easterly side there are 
many striking indications of iron and copperas, the 
stones slacking when exposed to the light and air, and 
emitting a sulphurous smell. A little more than a 
mile south of this place, as I was surveying a piece of 
land forty years ago, my attention was called by the 
proprietor of the land to a certain spot where he had 
dug a hole about a foot or a foot and a half deep, as 
he said, to find the brimstone ; and it smelled very 



122 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

strong of that article. It was of a red or yellowish 
color. I took a little, and rubbed it in my hands : it 
not only colored them, but the smell of brimstone con- 
tinued even after I had washed them thoroughly. 

I intended, when Prof Hitchcock made the geologi- 
cal survey of the State, to have been present, and 
shown him, not only tJiis] but several other places and 
substances that I could have pointed out to him with- 
in the limits of the town ; one in particular, where a 
certain kind of earth, or paint, is found, which, as tradi- 
tion tells the story, a man living near by used to dig, 
and use to paint his cart-wheels. 

The owner of the land, who is now dead, told me 
that he called it his terre de Seine, as it resembled the 
earth which is found on the banks of the River Seine 
in France, from which it derived its name. Black- 
lead is also found in this town, many rocks being found 
that have black-lead in their interstices. Iron-ore has 
been found on Mount Grace ; and also pure lead was 
found on its north-east lobe {Bennett's Knob) by one of 
the first settlers : he had the iron-ore experimented 
on, which resulted in the fact that it was too unmallea- 
ble and too brittle for common wrought-iron. 

There is iron-rock ore on the Daniel Johnson Farm, 
in the east part of Warwick, near the old turnpike- 
road that leads to Orange. Many years ago, there 
were considerable quantities of it dug, and carted to 
Worcester to be made into emery. 

There is also firestone, or freestone, discovered by 
Prof Hitchcock when he surveyed the State, and be- 
lieved to be inexhaustible, situated only about half a 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 123 

mile from the middle of the town. For a proper de- 
scription of the two last-mentioned articles, reference 
may be had to said Hitchcock's Geological Report, in 
every town-clerk's office in the State. 

There is a place on the farm, formerly owned by Mr. 
Wilder Stevens, where there are several Indian mor- 
tal's, as they are called ; viz., deep and nearly round, 
smooth holes in the solid rock, and three or four feet 
deep ; and the largest is perhaps two feet across : they 
are as smooth as if worn out by water, and similar to 
some holes that I have seen in the bed of Deerfield 
River, in a dry time at Shelburne Falls ; and what 
renders it more remarkable is the fact that the}' are 
located on the highest land (excepting the mountain- 
tops) between the valley of Miller's River on the 
south and the Ashuelot on the north, near where 
the water descends each way towards those rivers. 

On land formerly owned by Mr. Nathan Hastings, 
there is a place, under a shelving rock, that was once a 
bear's den ; and a young cub was caught there, and 
Mrs. Hastings actually nursed it at her own breast. 
Not a great distance from that place, on Mr. Thomas 
Mallard's farm, there is a hole in the ledges, where 
formerly, if a stone was dropped into it, the stone 
might be heard to rattle down, down, until out of 
hearing. Subsequently the boys have thrown in so 
many stones, that the passage has got stopped up ; and 
the stones do not now descend far into the cavern. 

Mount Grace is situated near the centre of War- 
wick, and is one of the highest mountains in the State 
(according to State survey, it is sixteen hundred and 
twenty-eight feet high). The water runs out of this 



124 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



town, east, west, north, and south. To the east and 
south it falls into Miller's River ; to the north into 
the Ashuelot at Winchester, N.H. ; and west into the 
Connecticut River in Northfield. 

In the year 1830 I surveyed and measured all the 
roads in Warwick, and made a plan of the town, for a 
map of the State. There were seventy-six miles of 
county and town roads at that time ; and there must 
be about the same now. There have been quite a num- 
ber of roads laid out and built at great expense since 
that time, and many have been discontinued. 

Among the early settlers of this town, we find the 
names of Joseph Goodell, Samuel Bennet, Dea. James 
Ball, Amos Marsh, Solomon Eager, Thomas Rich, 
Moses Leonard, Col. Samuel Williams, Dea. Silas 
Towne, Col. Joseph Mayo, Caleb Mayo, Capt. John 
Goldsbury, Capt. Mark Moore, and Jonathan Moore. 
Some of the above have descendants still living here ; 
and others we know nothing of, except from the 
records. 

In the winter of 1832 there were forty-six individ- 
uals in the town that were over seventy years of age ; 
twenty-three men, and twenty-three women. I now 
find, on Feb. i, 1854, the following list of aged people ; * 
but not one of them was seventy years old when I 
then wrote : those forty-six have all died, or removed 
from town, within twenty-two years. 

See Appendi.x, page 198. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 125 



CONTINUATION 

OF THE HISTORY OF WARWICK FROM 1854 TO 1872, BY 
DEACON HERVEY BARBER. 

August, 1854. — The town voted to instruct tlie 
town-agent (James Stockwell) to ascertain whether 
a new trial on the Murdock case can be had ; also 
voted to pay the expense of transporting the bag- 
gage of the Warwick Light Infantry to and from the 
place of encampment the present year. 

May, 1855. — The town voted upon the several 
amendments to the Constitution of the Common- 
wealth, passed by the last two legislatures, as fol- 
lows : — 

Art. I, yeas 31, nays 3 ; Art. 2, yeas 34, nays o; 
Art. 3, yeas 34, nays o ; Art. 4, yeas 34, nays o ; Art. 
5, yeas 34, nays o ; Art. 6, yeas 34, nays o. 

March 17, 1856. — Article 4 in the warrant for a 
town-meeting is as follows : " To see if the town will 
vote to purchase or hire a farm for the purpose of 
supporting the town-paupers, or act thereon." Also 
voted that the- selectmen be a committee to receive 
proposals for a town-farm, and report at an adjourned 
meeting. 

Voted to adjourn this meeting until two weeks from 
this date, to hear said report. 

At the adjourned meeting, the selectmen made the 
following report : — 



126 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Received proposals from Asa Bancroft for his home- 
farm, with the buildings thereon, at . . . $2,700 
Of Dea Sylvanus Ward for his home-farm and build- 
ings, at . ....... 2,000 

For his Ashbell Ward place and buildings . . 1,000 

From Daniel Felton for his home-farm and buildings, 1,700 

From S. T. Delvee for his home-farm and buildings, 1,500 

They also report, that, in their opinion, the town can save 
$300 per year by purchasing Dea. Ward's home-farm, or 
Asa Bancroft's ; and recommend to the town to choose a 
committee to investigate the subject, and authorize said 
committee to purchase such farm as they may think 
proper. 

Ibri Baker, \ 

Clark Stearns, \ Committee. 

H. G. Mallard, ) 

Wakwick, March 31, 1856. 

Voted to lay the report on the table : afterwards 
the town voted to purchase a town-farm. 

Also voted to choose a cominittee of seven persons, 
including the selectmen, to purchase a farm on which 
to support the paupers of the town. 

Voted and chose the selectmen by nomination. 

Voted, and chose Edward Mayo, James Stockwell, 
S. N. Atwood, and Hervey Barber, by ballot. Said 
committee, after examining the farms in the above 
report, and Ezekiel Ellis's, Joseph W. Phillips's, and 
Kimball Whitney's, and conferring with the owners, 
and considerable consultation among themselves, 
voted, six to one, to purchase the Bancroft Farm. A 
few days after, said committee purchased of Asa 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



127 



Bancroft his home-farm and a wood-lot adjoining for 
the sum of ^2,700. They soon purchased stock, tools, 
and furniture sufficient for the use of said farm and 
house, for 5 1,300; and early in May following they 
hired a man and his wife to take charge of the estab- 
lishment, under the superintendence of the selectmen, 
for the sum of $175. 

Our town-farm has been improved, and nearly all 
of the paupers have been supported in that manner, 
from that time to the present (1872), to the satisfaction 
of a large majority of the inhabitants of the town. 
Our paupers have a comfortable home, without the 
continued suspense of removal from year to year, as 
was the previous custom, when their maintenance was 
contracted for by the year to those that were willing 
to take them the cheapest ; and even under that form 
of support, for some years previous to maintaining an 
almshouse, it cost the town over six hundred dollars 
per annum : but, since we have adopted the present 
system, the largest expense per annum has been but 
a little over three hundred dollars, and some years less 
than one-half that amount ; and one year the cost to 
the town was only twenty-four and a half cents per 
week for each person supported, including interest on 
money invested, labor, clothing for paupers, doctor's 
bills, and all other necessary expenses for the year, — 
the growth of stock and the products of farm paying 
all the other expenses. And we have supported from 
eight to twelve persons during all these years, all be- 
ing old and feeble people, able to perform but very 
little labor, — a larger number than would be the aver- 
age for as many years previous to the purchase of the 
town-farm. 



128 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Aug. 31, 1856. — Voted to give School District No. i 
leave to build a schoolliouse on the common, near 
where the old meeting-house stood. During the au- 
tumn, the present schoolhouse was built on the spot 
where it now stands. 

May I, 1857. — The inhabitants met and voted 
upon the following amendments to the Constitution of 
the Commonwealth, that were agreed upon by the 
legislatures of 1856 and 1857: Art. i, 48 yeas, 34 
nays ; Art. 2, ^6 yeas, 46 nays ; Art. 3, 44 yeas, 38 
nays. Also voted to raise $1,000 for the purpose of 
paying off the -town-debt. 

1858. — At a legal town-meeting, the town voted 
and chose Henry G. Mallard agent to take charge of 
the pauper case, commenced against the inhabitants 
of Warwick by the town of Northfield, with instruc- 
tions to manage the case as he thinks will be for the 
best interests of the town. This case was prosecuted 
to final judgment ; the result being that the pauper 
(Miss Adeline Phelps), an insane person, was as- 
signed to the town of Northfield for her future sup- 
port. 

March i. — Voted to notify all future town-meetings 
by posting an attested copy of the warrant at the post- 
office, and another at Scott's store, and a notice at 
each meeting-house in town, seven days previous to 
the meeting. 

March 7, 1859. — Voted that a copy of the warrant 
be posted at the hotel, instead of Scott's store. 

May 9, 1858. — The inhabitants of the town met 
at a legal town-meeting, and voted upon the amend- 
ment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, 



HISTORY OP"' WARWICK. 129 

agreed upon by its last two legislatures, as follows : 
Yeas, 6 ; nays, 36. 

Oct. 2, 1858. — The funerals of Lemuel Scott and 
Henry G. Mallard were attended from the Unitarian 
church ; a large audience being present, and in full 
sympathy with the afflicted families, as two young 
men in the midst of their usefulness were suddenly 
stricken down by typhoid-fever, causing a sadness 
not often experienced by the people of the town since 
its first settlement. 

May 7, i860. — The inhabitants of the town met 
at a legal town-meeting, and gave in their votes on 
the amendments of the Constitution agreed upon by 
the last two legislatures of the Commonwealth, as 
follows: Article i,. 18 yeas, i nay ; Article 2, 8 yeas, 
1 1 nays. 

The whole number of persons between the ages of 
eighteen and forty-five enrolled in the militia, May, 
i860, was 145. 

March 2, 1861. — The whole amount of indebted- 
ness of the town, as per report of selectmen, over 
and above resources, was $2,527.03. 

Nov. I. — The selectmen of the towns of Orange 
and Warwick met, according to appointment, and 
erected stone monuments on the town-line, beside 
each of the highways running between said towns, as 
provided by chapter 84 of the Acts of 1861 ; and the 
selectmen of Northfield and Warwick performed the 
same service on the line of their towns Nov. 13 
of tlie same year ; also the aforesaid town-officers of 
Winchester performed the like services on the line of 
said towns Nov. 15 ; and again those of Royalston 



130 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and Warwick did the same between their towns 
Nov. 16. 

During' the first year of the war, the town in its 
corporate capacity did not take any action in the 
matter: but July 28, 1862, the town voted to instruct 
the selectmen to offer a bounty of ^100 to each vol- 
unteer to the number of thirteen ; also voted to 
instruct the selectmen to petition the next General 
Court to pass an act legalizing the assessment of said 
bounty upon the polls and estates of the inhabitants 
of the town. 

Aug. 25, 1862. — Voted to authorize the selectmen 
to offer a bounty of ^100 to each person who shall 
volunteer and be accepted to fill the cjuota of the 
town on the last call for 300,000 men by the Presi- 
dent. 

Voted to authorize the selectmen to borrow money 
for the before-named purpose. 

Also voted to instruct the selectmen to petition the 
next General Court for the assessment of the same 
upon the polls and estates of the inhabitants of the 
town. 

December, 1862. — The town received the present 
of a bell from Col. McKim (his wife is a daughter of 
Col. Lemuel Wheelock, a former resident of this town). 
Said bell was suspended from the dome of the village 
schoolhouse, as wished by the donor, and dedicated 
by a public meeting, with appropriate speeches from 
several of the citizens of our town, expressing their 
gratitude to the giver for his valuable and very useful 
gift.* 

* See Appendix, page 190. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



131 



Feb. 17, 1863. — Deacon Hervey Barber gave a 
lecture in the evening, giving some of the more im- 
portant events in the past history of the town (it 
being the centennial anniversary of its incorporation), 
in the Unitarian church, which was heard by a large 
and attentive audience. March 2. — The town voted 
to empower the treasurer, with the approbation of 
the selectmen, to borrow money to be expended as 
aid to families of volunteers. Amount paid to 
twenty-two volunteers previous to March 2, 1863, 
$2,202.78. April 2. — The town voted on the fol- 
lowing amendment to the Constitution of the Com- 
monwealth ; viz., " No person of foreign birth shall be 
entitled to vote, or shall be eligible to office, until he 
shall have resided within the jurisdiction of the 
United States for two years subsequent to having 
received his naturalization-papers, and shall be other- 
wise qualified as required by the Constitution and 
laws of this Commonwealth." The votes being re- 
ceived and counted, there were 40 yeas ; nays, none. 

Dec. 12, 1863. — Voted to authorize the selectmen 
to procure volunteers for the United-States service. 

April 6, 1864. — Voted to raise the sum of $1,500, 
to be assessed, or as much of the same as the select- 
men shall deem necessary, to be expended in the 
payment of bounties to soldiers who have volunteered 
or shall volunteer on the town's quota. 

June 13, 1864. — Voted to raise the sum of $624. 
to indemnify the selectmen for moneys expended in 
furnishing recruits for the United-States service, the 
same to be assessed the present year ; also voted to 
instruct the selectmen to fill by enlistment of recruits 



^3- 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



all future quotas of said town on future calls previous 
to a draft being made or ordered ; also voted to au- 
thorize the selectmen to borrow money for the same. 

What follows was taken from Adj. -Gen. Schouler's 
" History of Massachusetts in the Civil War," vol. li. 
Warwick incorporated Feb. 17, 1763. Population in 
1860,932; in 1865,909. Valuation in i860, $342,- 
556; in 1865, $220,657. 

The selectmen in 1861 and 1862 were William H. 
Bass, Sylvanus N. At wood, Charles R. Gale ; in 1863, 
Charles R. Gale, Hervey Barber, Eben G. Ball ; in 
1864, Hervey Barber, Eben G. Ball, Jesse F. Bridge ; 
in 1865, E. F. Mayo, J. F. Bridge, William H. Gale. 

The town-clerk during all these years of the war 
was Edward F. Mayo. The town-treasurer in 1861, 
1862, and 1863, was Benjamin G. Putnam ; in 1864 
and 1865, Philip Young. 

Mr. Mayo, the town-clerk, writes, " The men who 
went from our town were among our best citizens ; 
and those that have returned to us fully occupy their 
former stations. We have lost in the war twenty-six 
men. Alexander Cooper, sergeant of Company G, 
Thirty-sixth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, 
was more than three years in the army, and was dis- 
charged for wounds received at Spottsylvania. He 
was killed Nov. 22, 1866, by the fall of a derrick, while 
raising a stone for the soldiers' monument in this 
town." 

Warwick furnished ninety-nine men for the war ; 
which was a surplus of nine above all demands. 

April 6, 1864. — The town voted to accept of the 
grant of land given by Mrs. Experience C. Fisk for 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. j.^ 

an addition to our biir^'ing-ground, complying with 
the conditions of said grant. Also voted that the 
Chair appoint a committee of three persons to draft 
suitable resolutions, expressing the gratitude of the 
town to the donor, and report to this meeting ; the 
same to be presented to Mrs. Fisk, and a copy to be 
inscribed on the records of the town. 

Rev. I. S. Lincoln, William H. Bass, and Deacon 
G. W. Moore were nominated by H. Barber, chair- 
man, and confirmed by the town. Then voted that 
the selectmen be a committee to examine the grounds, 
and report at a future meeting. The committee to 
draft resolutions, &c., reported as follows : — 

Whereas, As Mrs. Experience C. Fisk presented to the 
town of Warwick a beautiful and valuable lot of land con- 
tiguous to the existing cemetery : therefore 

Resolved, That the citizens of said town receive the same 
with gratitude, and, in town-meeting assembled, return a 
vote of thanks to the donor for her most valuable and 
acceptable gift. 

Resolved, That this land thus received, and consecrated 
as a resting-place for the dead, shall be called the Fisk 
Cemetery. 

Resolved, That the town-clerk is hereby instructed to place 
this preamble and resolutions upon the town-records, and 
present the same to the donor, and send a copy thereof to 
the editor of " The Gazette and Courier " at Greenfield, for 
publication. 

I. S. Lincoln, \ 

G. W. Moore, ^ Committee. 

W. H. Bass, ) 

Warwick, April 6, 1865. 

The selectmen, being chosen a committee for that pur- 



134 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



pose, examined the grounds given by Mrs. Fisk, and reported 
that said grounds needed fencing on three sides ; that some 
parts needed levelUng ; that several old trees should be cut 
down, and the old cellar be filled up ; that walks and drive- 
ways should be made, and that it should be otherwise beauti- 
fied, to comply with the wishes of the donor. 

Hervey Barber, \ 

E. G. Ball, '> Committee. 

J. F. Bridge, ) 



Report accepted by the town ; and the selectmen 
were instructed to carry the substance of said report 
into effect. 

The above improvements were made during the 
season ; and several times since the town has directed 
their selectmen to make further alterations ; so that 
when the ornamental trees have become some larger, 
and all vacant places that were at first proposed for 
trees of various kinds are filled, the Fisk Cemetery 
will compare favorably with any in this vicinity. 

1865. — As per report of the overseers of the poor, the 
sum-total of expense of paupers on the town the past year 
is $121.35. 

Whole number of weeks' board of paupers on the town- 
farm was 364. 

Average cost of board per week, 33^ cents each. 

Whole expense of the farm, $141.70. 

Sum-total of expense for the year, $263.05. 

Hervey Barber, ) _, ^ , „ 

-r „ -r, > Overseers of the Poor. 

Jesse F. Bridge, ) -^ 

Warwick, March 4, 1865. 

A small expense per week for the support of per- 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 135 

sons on the town-farm, which speaks favorably for the 
way we support our paupers, and the manner that we 
proceed in cultivating the farm, and superintending 
the whole concern. 

This year there died at Whately (at the residence 
of her son, Samuel Lesure, Esq.) Mrs. Hannah Le- 
sure, widow of Mr. Samuel Lesure, aged 10 1 years, 
4 months, and 12 days. Samuel Lesure, sen., was 
one of the first settlers of the town of Warwick, and 
was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and for 
some years a pensioner. His widow received a pen- 
sion also after the decease of her husband until the 
time of her departure to that " better land." We will 
now record a traditionary anecdote, related by one of 
her contemporaries, which may interest the younger 
portion of our readers. 

While her husband was absent in the service of his 
country, between the years 1780 and 1783, Mrs. 
Lesure espied one evening in the twilight, in the edge 
of the woods near her dwelling-house, a large bear, 
coolly taking a survey of the log-house and its sur- 
roundings. And, knowing that bears have a particu- 
lar penchant for pigs, she immediately took hers from 
the pen, and put it in the house ; closed the door, and 
barricaded it with table, stools, and blocks, and other 
movables that the dwelling contained ; put her large 
fire-shovel into the embers ; and patiently waited the 
result. Soon Bruin made his assault upon the door, 
and she could plainly see his nose under the door, 
which was hung on wooden hinges, also fastened with 
a wooden latch, and a string, for the purpose of open- 
ing, suspended from the outside, — locks at that time 



jog HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

being almost unknown. The floor being laid with 
loose boards, the door fitted none of the best. But, 
not being able to force an entrance, he next went to 
the slide board-window (glass at that time was very 
scarce), which, in her haste, she had neglected to fas- 
ten. This he soon forced open enough to admit his 
head, when our heroine seized the shovel, and made 
such an onslaught upon the head of the bear, that he 
soon retreated to the woods with growls and snarls, 
and left our hostess and her lodger in quiet possession 
of her humble abode. And when Mrs. Lesure was 
over a hundred years of age, she showed both her ability 
to labor and her patriotism by knitting stockings for 
our soldiers that had left their homes to sustain our 
government when threatened by traitors belonging to 
the slaveholders' rebellion. 

1866. — See account of the building of the soldiers' 
monument, which contains all the votes of the town, 
except those usually recorded every year.'* 

March 4, 1867. — The town voted to authorize the 
treasurer, with the approbation of the selectmen, to 
borrow money for the supjDort of the families of volun- 
teers, disabled soldiers, and the families of the slain ; 
and the same vote has been passed at the annual 
March meeting each year from that time to the 
present. 

Nov. 3, 1868. — Town voted to pay Andrew F. Nor- 
ton his town bounty (^125), with interest,' from the 
date of his enlistment as a soldier accredited to War- 
wick in the war of the late Rebellion. 

Norton's name, with several others, had been before 

* On pages 146-149. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 137 

the town, and the selectmen as a committee to inves- 
tigate the subject, for over two years. The others 
failed to receive their bounty, not from any neglect of 
duty, but from being unfortunate in the time of en- 
listment, it being prior to the date of the act making 
it legal for towns to pay the above bounty. 

1 869. — The legislature of the Commonwealth 
passed an act abolishing the school-district system. 

April 17. — The town voted to choose a committee 
to appraise the school-houses, and report at a future 
meeting ; then voted that the selectmen (James S. 
Wheeler, E. F. Mayo, and H. H. Jillson) be said com- 
mittee. Also voted, and added George N. Richards 
and William H. Bass to the committee. 

And voted to adjourn this meeting to May 15, at 
three, o'clock, p.m., to hear the report of said com- 
mittee. 

May 15. — The inhabitants met agreeably to ad- 
journment ; heard the report of the committee on the 
appraisal of school-houses, and voted to lay the report 
over to the next March meeting. 

Sept. 6, 1870. — The town voted unanimously to 
accept of the act, and return to the school-district 
system. 

Nov. 8. — Voted to appropriate ^100 for the bene- 
fit of a public library. Also voted to accept of the 
two pieces of land north of Nahum Jones's boot-shop ; 
the same to be kept as a public park, and to be kept 
enclosed with a suitable and substantial fence. And 
also voted that the selectmen be a committee to dis- 
pose of the timber on the town-farm, if, in their 
opinion, it would be for the best interests of the town. 



138 'HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

The proprietors of the park, prior to the above vote, 
were several citizens of the town, who had authorized 
their committee to convey said park to the town, on 
condition that the town would vote to receive it, and for- 
ever after keep it in suitable repair, as an ornament to 
the village. Its history is as follows. Some time in 
August, 1867, Mrs. M. A. McKim (a former resilient 
of Warwick), Mrs. E. C. Sibley, and Miss Sarah Ball, 
circulated a subscription-paper for the purpose of 
purchasing the blacksmith-shop lot, north of Mrs. 
McKim's new house in Warwick Village, and Mr. 
Jones's lot, north of his boot-shop, to be improved 
and ornamented for a public park. On said subscrip- 
tion-paper are to be found the names of our citizens 
to the amount of ^325, for the purpose of purchasing 
said pieces of land. After said facts had become 
known, Mr. Jones generously presented his lot, and 
gave a deed thereof to the town ; and the blacksmith 
lot was purchased of A. S. Atherton, Mrs. McKim 
being the original owner. They each gave ^25 for the 
above object. The proprietors, or rather the contrib- 
utors, met at the hotel, and voted to choose a com- 
mittee of three persons from their number to take 
charge of the funds contributed, and finish off and 
beautify said grounds in a suitable manner for a pub- 
lic park. Voted and chose Hervey Barber, Calvin 
W. Delva, and Edward F. Mayo, said committee, 
who circulated another paper for subscriptions for the 
above purpose ; and they obtained the promise on the 
same of the sum of ^127.50, to be paid in money, 
labor, and materials, as specified on said paper, to be 
expended under the supervision of the committee, for 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



139 



the purpose of levelling, fencing, the setting of trees, 
and otherwise ornamenting said park. The commit- 
tee soon commenced their work; and after some 
delays, from one cause and another, the more promi- 
nent one being the want of funds, and the county- 
commissioners having laid a road in such a way as to 
necessitate the selectmen to take a part of the pro- 
prietors' lands for the continuance and extension of 
said road, the lot, being fenced and nearly finished, 
was presented to the town, and accepted, as above 
stated, and a deed of warranty given by Messrs. 
Jones and Atherton, on condition that the town ever 
after keep the same in good order, and continue it as 
a public park. 

March 6, 1871. — The town voted to accept of the 
proprietors' library, on the following conditions : That 
the town shall, at the annual March meeting each 
year, choose a board of five trustees, who shall have 
power to appoint a librarian, to furnish a suitable 
place to keep the library, to make by-laws, and adopt 
such regulations for its government and support as 
they in their judgment shall think best. Said trus- 
tees shall have power to fill all vacancies which may 
occur by reason of death, removal, or otherwise, 
during the year. They shall report to the town 
at the annual March meeting their doings and the 
condition of the library. And the town shall, from 
time to time,' make such appropriations as shall be 
necessary to increase the number of volumes, and 
thereby increase the usefulness of the library. And, 
when the town shall fail to comply with the condi- 
tions on which they receive the library, it shall revert 



i^o HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

to the original owners. The town voted, and chose 
as trustees of the Hbrary Rev. John Goldsbury, Dea- 
con H. Barber, Dr. S. P. French, Jesse F. Bridge, 
Esq., and WilHam K. Taylor. Also voted to appro- 
priate the money returned to the town by the county- 
treasurer, from the dog-tax, to the library; to be 
expended by the trustees for the benefit of the same. 

April lo. — The town voted to accept a donation of 
^500, given by Mrs. Mary Blake Clap, of Dorchester 
District, Boston, and comply with the request of the 
donor, which was as follows : " That said sum shall be 
invested by the town, and the interest arising there- 
from shall be annually applied to the beautifying and 
keeping their cemetery in repair." 

Also voted that the town-clerk and selectmen con- 
stitute a committee to draft suitable resolutions, the 
same to be presented to Mrs. Clap, and also to be 
inscribed upon the records of the town, expressing 
the gratitude of the town to the donor for her very 
'^C'sptable gift. 

The committee presented the following report, 
which was accepted by the town : — 



Preamble. — The undersigned having been chosen by the 
citizens of the town of Warwick, in town-meeting assem- 
bled, to make and transmit to Mrs. Mary Blake Clap, of 
Boston, an expression of thanks, and the grateful acknowl- 
edgment thereof of the people of this town for her gener- 
ous action in aid of our cemetery : therefore 

Resolved, That we herewith present to Mrs. Mary Blake 
Clap, of Boston, the grateful thanks of the town for her 
very generous donation to the town as a cemetery-fund. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



141 



Resolved, That it is our intention to cany out the wishes 
expressed by the donor, and comply with them in such a 
manner as to make the spot endeared to us as the last 
resting-place of the bodies of our relatives and friends a 
pleasant rather than a gloomy retreat. 

Arnon S. Atherton, Toivn-Clerk. 

E. F. Mayo, \ 

H. H. JiLLSON, > Select mcji. 

J. F. Bridge, ) 

May 2. — The town voted to prohibit the sale of 
ale, porter, strong and lager beer, within the limits of 
the town the ensuing year. 

Nov. 7. — Voted that the matter concerning school- 
districts in the warrant be referred to the chairman of 
the school-committee and the selectmen, who shall 
take the subject into consideration, and report at 
some future meeting. 

March 4, 1872. — Voted, and chose William H. 
Gale moderator ; also Henry H. Jillson, Jesse F. 
Bridge, and James L>Stockwell, selectmen, and assess- 
ors, and overseers of poor ; A. S. Atherton, town- 
clerk and treasurer ; George A. Gushing, superin- 
tending school-committee for three years ; Nahum 
Jones, Hervey Barber, Dr. French, Jesse F. Bridge, 
and William K. Taylor, trustees of the public library; 
W^illiam K. Taylor, constable, and collector of taxes. 

Also voted to accept of the report of the selectmen, 
which leaves a balance of ^8,450.93, as the indebted- 
ness of the town above all resources. 

Voted to raise two per cent on the valuation, which 
shall constitute, with the amount assessed upon the 



142 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

polls, the sum-total of the. State, county, and town 
taxes the present year. 

Voted to appropriate, out of the above, $1,200 for 
the use of the schools the ensuing year. 

Voted to appropriate $100 to be expended by the 
trustees for the enlargement of the town-library. 

Voted to raise one-half per cent on the valuation, 
which shall, with the poll-taxes, be the amount to" be 
expended on the highways the coming year. 

Voted to continue the school-district system. Also 
voted to hear the report of the committee raised at a 
former meeting to take into consideration our school- 
districts, and make such alteration therein as may be 
to the best interests of the town, which was as fol- 
lows, to wit : — 

The subscribers chosen by the town as a committee to 
make such alterations in the bounds of several school-dis- 
tricts have attended to that duty, and ask leave to submit 
the following report : — 

Your committee are of the opinion that it will be for the 
interest of the town, and not add much to the inconvenience 
of the inhabitants of said districts, to annex the lands and 
estates of Mrs. Stratton, George W. Smith, Luke Delvee, 
Henry Esketh, and the Messrs. Holden, in school-district 
No. 6, to district No. 4 ; and unite the remaining lands and 
estates of school-district No. 6 with school-district No. 3, to 
be called school-district No. 6, — its original number; also 
unite school-district No. 10 with No. 7, to be continued as 
No. 7 ; also that district No. 9 take the name of No. 3, — its 
former number; — making eight districts within the town, 
numbered from one to eight in regular order. And we are 
of the opinion that any further alterations would be inexpe- 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. i,. 

dient at the present time. All of which is submitted for the 
consideration of the town. 

Hervey Barber, ^ 

E. F. Mayo, > Committee. 

J. F. Bridge, ) 

Warwick, Feb. lo, 1872. 

Also voted to accept of the report of the Rev. John 
Goldsbury for the trustees of the town-library ; and 
ordered the same to be printed with the report of the 
school-committee, for the use of the inhabitants of 
the town. 

And the trustees at their annual meeting passed a 
vote of thanks to the Rev. Mr. Goldsbury for his able, 
instructive, and interesting report, and ordered it 
inscribed on the records of the library. 

S. P. French, Secretary. 

April 20, 1872. — At a town-meeting held for the 
purpose, it was voted to accept of a second donation 
of $500 from Mrs. Mary Blake Clap for the improve- 
ment of the cemetery, and comply with the wishes of 
the donor ; and that the selectmen and town-clerk pre- 
sent to her the thanks of the town for her acceptable 
and desirable gift. 

A. S. Atherton, Town-Clerk. 



144 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



THE REBELLION OF 1861-1865. 

The outbreak of the war of the Rebellion, and a call 
for troops to defend the national capital, although not 
unexpected by our people, was nevertheless something 
of a surprise, as we had for many years lived in peace, 
and knew very little of the waste of life, of time, 
and of treasure, which a state of war entails upon a 
community therein engaged. At this time, and for 
many years previous, no military organization existed 
in our town ; and our whole number of enrolled militia 
consisted of less than one hundred and fifty men 
between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, of 
which more than one-half were invalids, or in some 
way incompetent to do military duty. Yet on the 
part of our citizens, both old and young, male and 
female, there was shown a persevering determination 
to support the government in putting down the Rebel- 
lion by enlisting their energies in sustaining the stars 
and stripes, and maintaining to the last the union of 
all the States of our beloved country, as the brief his- 
tory of what we shall say of the doings of our patri- 
otic people during those years of labor, suspense, and 
trial, will fully corroborate ; and which shows our readi- 
ness and willingness to sacrifice time, wealth, and even 
life, in our country's defence. 

We would first record, that soon after the assault 
upon Fort Sumter, before any calls had been made 
upon our town for troops, a large number of our young 
men had enlisted, and gone to the front to assist in 
sustaining the authorities in maintaining the rights of 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



145 



all American citizens, — libert}', freedom, and a 
strong republican government. Although the ma- 
jority of them were not afterwards accredited to our 
town, yet those that remained rejoiced to see so 
many of their companions and neighbors showing 
their patriotism by giving themselves to the cause of 
the free institutions of their beloved republic, which 
were now threatened by their deluded Southern 
countrymen, — a strong evidence to those that re- 
mained that the principles of justice, right, and free- 
dom, would ultimately prevail. And several times 
during the war large contributions of clothing, band- 
ages, lint, and palatable kinds of preserves, fruits, and 
food, were collected by the noble women of our town, 
and sent to the hospitals for the comfort and subsist- 
ence of our sick and wounded soldiers, who were suf- 
fering and dying to sustain the best government on 
the face of the earth. And often were the manly 
forms of our fathers and sons collected together to 
sustain and cheer each other, as doubt and hope came 
over the wires with lightning-speed, announcing first 
defeat and then victory to their inquiring and anxious 
minds, as they were looking for news from the army 
of occupation or of advance into the enemy's country. 
And quite often large subscriptions were collected to 
aid the government in forwarding men to the front, as 
they were called for from time to time. The whole 
amount of money appropriated and expended by the 
town on account of the war, exclusive of State aid, 
was $8,786.09. There was also raised by private sub- 
scription $2,638.21, which was not reimbursed by the 
town. 



146 HISTORY OF WARWICK.' 

The amount of money raised and expended by the 
town, for State aid to soldiers' famihes during the 
years of the war, and which was afterwards reim- 
bursed by the Commonwealth, was $6,403.07, making 
a sum-total of $17,827.37, which was raised by our 
patriotic citizens during those years, besides large 
amounts of articles of various kinds sent for the 
relief of our sick and wounded soldiers.* 



THE SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. 

Nov. 7, 1865, the town voted to erect a monument 
to the memory of its deceased soldiers who fell in the 
war of the slaveholders' rebellion. 

Also voted that the selectmen be instructed to 
obtain drafts and plans for a monument, and submit 
them to the town at some future meeting. 

And voted that the committee be confined to 
granite as the material for building said monument. 

March 5, 1866, voted to authorize the selectmen 
to contract for furnishing the material for the erec- 
tion of a suitable monument to the memory of its 
deceased soldiers, and to authorize said selectmen to 
borrow a sum of money, not exceeding $1,000, for the 
same. 

Aug. 25, the town voted to have the soldiers' 
monument erected in the Fisk Cemetery. 

During this season a beautiful granite monument 
was purchased by the selectmen, and transported 

* See Appendix, page 1S9. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK 



147 



from the quarry in Fitzwilliam, N.H., and placed in 
the centre of the Fisk Cemetery, on suitable and sub- 
stantial foundations, — a memorial to the patriotism 
of our sons, to the number of twenty-six,* whose 
names are inscribed thereon, and will show to future 
generations the gratitude of all our citizens ; that 
they so nobly gave their lives to their country in the 
suppression of the greatest rebellion ever known, 
thereby showing to the world that republican institu- 
tions are rev^ered, preserving the Union, abolishing 
African slavery, enlarging the freedom of all, and 
leaving our land in a situation to become the greatest, 
the wisest, and the happiest upon the face of the 
earth. 

And we are happy to record, that as yet no one has 
expressed any dissatisfaction that this memento to 
the worth of our lamented sons has been erected to 
perpetuate their prowess and patriotism. But many 
there are who rejoice that they have, in this commend- 
able manner, commemorated their disinterestedness 
and valor. A tribute of respect is due to those of 
our fellow-citizens who gave their influence to for- 
ward the object, and especially to the selectmen who 
acted for the town in its corporate capacity, and 
those friends that still have a deep interest in the 
prosperity of their former and ever-to-be-remem- 
bered residence, and, who so generously contributed 
towards its completion, in a sum of $336, which, 
with the town's grant of $1,000, makes $1,336, 
which is the total expense of erecting and finishing 

* See names in Appendix, page 189. 



148 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

both the monument and the grounds surrounding 
the same. 

In addition to what has already been said of the 
minerals in this town, we would say that the radiated 
tourmaline, found in large quantities on Mt. Grace, is 
one of the handsomest of its kind ; and there are 
specimens of it to be found in many of the cabinets 
of mineralogists in this country, and in several in the 
Old World. From the quarry of crystallized quartz 
found near the road leading from the Common in 
Warwick towards C. W. Hastings's pond, on lands of 
Widow Rhoda Wheelock, are obtained noble speci- 
mens, which are quite extensively known and ap- 
preciated by many professors both in our country 
and in Europe ; and Prof. Tenney has a splendid 
impression of a specimen of this mineral, to be found 
in his valuable work on mineralogy. We will also 
continue the account of the natural curiosities in 
' town by a brief statement of an Indian kettle that 
will hold .from eight to ten pails of water, to be 
found on the south side of a ledge of rocks on the 
west side of the road, about a hundred rods north- 
west of Chandler W. Bass's saw-mill ; and of a bear's 
den, so called, on the Nath. G. Stevens farm, not far 
from a hundred rods north of the Stevens's mill- 
pond, and from 'twenty to thirty rods east of the line 
between Northfield and Warwick : this den is covered 
by a shelving rock of a size sufficient to shelter five 
hundred men. Also, on Mr. D. Stone's Atwood 
farm, on the west side of the old road, near the Win- 
chester line, is to be found a large bowlder, adjudged 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



149 



to weigh a hundred tons, which is so nearly bal- 
anced that it can be rocked with one hand. These 
things are richly worth the time and trouble of a 
journey of some distance to any lover of natural 
curiosities. 

AGRICULTURE. 

For the last twenty years the farming interests of 
the town have somewhat improved : the inhabitants 
have become convinced that science and system are 
as necessary to success as bone and muscle ; and 
most of our farmers have adopted the plan of culti- 
vating a smaller number of acres, and by a rotation 
of crops, and a higher state of improvement, obtain a 
better return for their labor. 

Their attention is more devoted to the raising of 
fruit, hay, and vegetables than formerly. Some have 
planted new orchards, and others have trimmed and 
grafted their old ones ; quite a quantity of the best 
varieties of apples are now grown, so that in ordinary 
years they have enough for their own supply, and in 
fruitful ones an overplus to carry to market. The 
number of horses, cattle, sheep, and swine, has de- 
creased more than half; but, as they consist of better 
grades and larger forms, their value has increased, 
while their numbers have been continually decreasing 

Their dwellings are more comfortable and elegant, 
their fences improved, and their carriages and farm- 
ing-tools show a utility never before dreamed of, 
and their value has increased over a hundred per 
cent. There is also an appearance of neatness and 



I50 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



thrift to be seen about their homes never before 
known since the memory of our oldest inhabitants ; 
and around many of their dwelhngs are now planted 
ornamental trees, interspersed with flowers and other 
things of taste, which, in some instances, make the 
passers remark that these people have much to make 
them comfortable and happy. 



CATTLE-SHOWS AND FAIRS. 

In the autumns of 1859 ^^""^ i860 the people of this 
town held a cattle-show on the Common, and a fair in 
•the Unitarian Church, each year, which were attended 
by a large number of the inhabitants of Warwick ; 
and nearly all the towns within twenty miles were 
represented by quite a respectable number of their 
best citizens : and many brought with them speci- 
mens of their agricultural products, and manu- 
factured articles, while others presented their best 
horses, neat cattle, sheep, and swine ; and we had 
natural curiosities, flowers, paintings, and other arti- 
cles of the fine arts ; and, in fact, about every thing 
that is ever exhibited on similar occasions. We 
also, at our first gathering, had an able extempore 
address from R. D. Chase, Esq., of Orange, on 
the benefits that we should derive from a continu- 
ation of these meetings in after years. At our 
meeting together on the second occasion, W. Gris- 
wold, Esq., of Greenfield, gave us an interesting 
and instructive scientific address, interspersed with 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



151 



anecdotes and other matter, so suitably arranged as 
to give general satisfaction. 

We felt that our cattle-shows and fairs had be- 
come quite a success ; and we only regret that we 
have been unable to continue them to this time, as we 
are satisfied, that, had we done so, it would have been 
for the advancement of the knowledge of agricultural 
science, and suggested ijnprovements in practical 
farming generally. 



MANUFACTURES. 

The manuficturing interests of our town are com- 
paratively small, for the reasons that have already 
been stated ; yet with the perseverance and indus- 
try of our people they are nevertheless considerable. 
They consist mostly of lumber of various kinds, or of 
such articles as are made from lumber, or of which 
wood is the component part. 

In the first place, we would mention that we, have 
fourteen saw-mills within the limits of the town, two 
of temporary steam-power : nine of them have circular 
saws of the most approved structure ; and they, all 
combined, cut out over four million of feet of lumber 
annually, consisting of pine, chestnut, hemlock, and 
hard wood, which is carried to the depots in the adjoin- 
ing towns, and transported by steam-cars on the rail- 
roads to all parts of New England, and the State of 
New York. It is worth at the depots, when placed on 
the cars, on an average, over fifteen dollars per thousand. 
The whole process of cutting, hauling, manufacturing, 



152 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and carting to the railroads, employs a large number 
of men in the winter season, and some during the 
other seasons of the year. We also have nine small- 
er mills, that cut pail-staves, chair-stuff, shingles, and 
broom-handles in considerable quantities, which also 
find a market abroad. 

The stave-mills the past year cut staves and head- 
ing for over one hundred and fifty thousand pails. 
And, besides the above, a large amount of wood is cut 
from our hills and valleys, and hauled to Winchester, 
Northfield, and Wendell, to be used by the inhabit- 
ants of these places, or sold to the railroad compa- 
nies for their use, or transportation to other less 
wooded regions. 

We have also a tannery that employs eight men 
manufacturing upper leather. They use three hun- 
dred cords of hemlock bark annually. This bark is 
mostly grown in town, and is worth from eight to ten 
dollars a cord. The annual product of this tannery 
is over fifty tons of leather, — worth, when ready for 
market, over twenty thousand dollars. 

In the village is a boot manufactory, which has 
been in operation eighteen years. The business was 
established by Nahum Jones (then a resident of Bos- 
ton, now of Warwick). It was commenced on a 
small scale, and has gradually increased from about 
fifteen thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars per 
annum, and gives employment to forty men in the 
various departments of the business. The number 
of pairs of men's, boys', and youths' boots made here 
in 1871 was twenty thousand. These boots are 
adapted to the New-England trade. Nearly all the 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



153 



men employed are residents of the town, and owners 
of real estate. 

In the south part of the town is quite a large 
shop for the manufacture of brush-woods formerly- 
owned by James S. Wheeler (deceased), but now by 
his son. They make and send to market over 
twenty-five hundred gross of brush-woods annually. 
These woods are made of hard wood, and employ 
from six to eight men ; and the annual product is from 
four thousand dollars to six thousand dollars, as the 
season proves to be wet or dry, the power used 
being water. And there are several small shops that 
manufacture quite a large amount of chair-stuff of 
various kinds. 



THE WARWICK LIGHT INFANTRY. 

In the year 1852 the citizens of Warwick, to the 
number of fifty or over, united for the purpose of 
forming themselves into a military company, and 
petitioned the authorities of the State for powers 
and privileges given by them to other similar organi- 
zations. 

Their request was heard, and soon answered ; and 
a charter was granted for five years under the name 
of the Warwick Light Infantry, allowing them such 
recompense for their services as other infantry-compa- 
nies received, on condition that they well and truly 
performed all the duties required of them by the 
statutes of the Commonwealth. 

Said company assembled, and elected James Stock- 



154 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

well captain, Edward F. Mayo and Henry G. Mal- 
lard lieutenants, with all other officers that were 
necessary to make them an efficient company of vol- 
unteer militia. 

This company was armed and equipped in a becom- 
ing and tasteful manner, and performed all the mili- 
tary duties that the law required for the full term of 
their charter with a faithful and soldier-like precision, 
first under Capt. Stockwell, afterwards under Capts. 
Mayo and Mallard, so as to receive the approbation 
of their superior officers, and the esteem of their 
fellow-citizens. And several times have I heard it 
remarked by the spectators who witnessed their sol- 
dierly appearance, and the accuracy of their evolu- 
tions, " that such a company was an honor to any 
town." 

THE CORNET BAND. 

For twenty years our town has been cheered 
and made happier by the haimnony of siveet sounds, 
called forth by an organized body of our citizens 
called the Warwick Cornet Band. Said organi- 
zation commenced its operations under Charles F. 
Hastings as leader, which in a few years was trans- 
ferred to James E. Fuller, and for a few months to 
Edward F. Mayo, who with their great love of music, 
and their usual promptitude of action, soon drew 
around them a dozen or more of our young men of 
musical talent, who, mostly under their instruction 
(with occasionally a teacher from abroad), developed 
so much skill in the science of music, that for several 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. i^^ 

years they were considered an important element in 
all our public gatherings, and a great source of pleas- 
ure to the citizens of Warwick as they met from 
week to week for practice, either on the town com- 
mon or in the band-room, and united their efforts to 
become masters of tJie szveetest, the highest, the most 
soul-cheering power ever given to man. 

They were often invited to the neighboring towns 
to assist at their fairs, picnics, and other places of 
amusement and pleasure ; where they were efficient 
in calling forth such harmonious strains of excellent 
music, that, after their return to their homes, they were 
followed with gratitude from those whose happiness 
was enhanced ; and we were congratulated for our 
accomplished band of excellent musicians. 

For several years past, the band has been con- 
tinued under the leadership of Mr. Samuel Hastings, 
who has and does still give much time and zeal to 
the work, as the members have been continually 
changing, so that at the present time but a very few 
remain that belonged to the company when he was 
first chosen to be its leader and teacher ; and we 
are happy to record that all the expressions of grati- 
tude and praise given by any one to its first leader 
and his comrades can, with equal sincerity, be given 
to him and those with whom he is associated. In 
fact, the band has become so much of a fixture, 
that if we should be deprived of its services, even for 
a short time, our gatherings of all kinds would be 
exceedingly tame, if we were obliged to meet without 
seeing their smiling faces, or hearing their sweet, 
melodious sounds ; and we would here add, for our- 



156 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



selves, and the citizens of our town, to the " War- 
wick Cornet Band," as it now is, and as it has been, an 
expression of thanks, to be handed to coming genera- 
tions with this worlv, that their chiklren and ours 
may know tliat their labors of love are appreciated by 
us, and those that immediately preceded us. 

We hope that the present members will persevere 
in their noble work, and that those that come after them 
and have like talents will be moved by their example 
and perseverance to come forward and do likewise. 
And we feel assured that their contemporaries will 
shower blessings of gratitude upon their heads. 



SCHOOLS. 

Our schools have been, for some years, considered 
by our neighbors as good as any to be found in this 
vicinity. Although we have never had a sufficient 
number of inhabitants to oblige the town to main- 
tain a high-school, yet the desire that our children 
and youth should receive a good practical education 
has been so great, that, for a series of years, we have 
succeeded in sustaining one of a private nature, or, 
in other words, a select school, where the higher 
branches could be learned ; and, at other times, many 
of our young men and women have gone one or two 
terms each year to schools and academies in the 
adjoining towns ; so that, for the last forty years, we 
have not only been able to supply our own schools 
with competent teachers, but have also supplied seve- 
ral to the neighboring towns. And, in the year 1840, 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



157 



during the winter term, twelve young gentlemen and 
several young ladies, natives of Warwick, taught 
school in this and the adjoining towns. For the past 
few years, the number of scholars attending school 
has been reduced more than fifty per cent, and some 
of our schools are very small : yet the interest 
taken in them has in no way declined, nor our 
schools, as a whole, deteriorated, as the town-grant 
of $1,200 for that purpose amply proves; and we 
fee] assured, by what we see and hear, that our people, 
as a class, are determined that their children shall 
enjoy for time to come still greater facilities of ob-' 
taining a good, practical, common-school education 
than were given to those of former years, being con- 
vinced that our common schools are the only sure 
foundation of a free government. 



HISTORY OF ITS CHURCHES CONTINUED. 

THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL (nOW UNITARIAN) 
CHURCH. 

As has already been recorded by the Hon. Jona. 
Blake, the Rev. Preserved Smith was ordained Oct. 
12, 1 8 14, and continued as pastor of this church and 
society for thirty years ; and, for this series of years, 
he not only performed all his church and parochial 
duties, as a faithful minister, a devoted Christian, and 
an exemplary man, but he was also first and foremost 
in all things that would in any way advance the true 
interests of his people, or would further, and be 
instrumental in, the happiness and progress of all the 



158 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



inhabitants of the town. Especially have hi,s influence 
and example been witnessed in the advancement and 
prosperity of our common schools-; and we feel that 
we are justified in recording, that, to him more than 
any other man, are we indebted for the high standard 
to which they attained during his long residence 
among us as our teacher and guide. He asked of us 
and obtained his dismission in 1844, and preached his 
farewell sermon Oct. 12 of the same year. After the 
lapse of twenty years, he came, by request of his still 
grateful people, Oct. 12, 1854, and delivered his half- 
' century discourse to a large, attentive, and interested 
audience. 

The order of exercises was as follows : — 

1. Voluntary by the choir, E. F. Mayo, leader. 

2. Reading of Scriptures by Rev. John Goldsbury 
of Warwick. 

3. Hymn of Welcome. Original. By Miss M. A. 
Reed of Warwick (now wife of Rev. H. P. Os- 
good).* 

4. Prayer by Rev. J, F. Moors of Greenfield. 

5. Hymn from " Greenwood's Collection," read by 
Rev. S. Barber. 

6. Sermon. Text from Acts xxvi. 22, " Having 
obtained help of God, I continue to this day." 

7. Prayer by Rev. Alpheus ETarding of New Salem. 

8. Farewell Hymn. Original. By Miss M. A. 
Reed. 

9. Benediction by Rev. L S. Lincoln, resident pastor. 
After the services in the church, there was a col- 

* See Appendix, p. 205, 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 159 

lation in the vestry, at which there were remarks by 
both clergymen and laymen, closing with dismission- 
hymn. The church was very tastefully decorated 
with flowers and emblems appropriate to the occa- 
sion. Mr. Smith is now (March 16, 1872) residing in 
Greenfield, enjoying a comfortable measure of health. 
We will here quote an extract from Rev. Mr. 
Smith, where he speaks of the generation that were 
leaders in the church, and worthy citizens of the 
town at the time of his settlement. 

" There was the sainted Barnes, whose walk was 
with God ; J. Blake, sen., was truly, in dress and 
manners, a gentleman of the old school ; Dea. Caleb 
Mayo, noted for his straightforward uprightness and 
integrity ; Capt. Peter Proctor, the unflinching pa- 
triot ; Capt. Mark Moore, the substantial friend of 
good order ; and women not a few, who were mothers 
in Israel, full of good works, and ministrations of 
mercy and kindness." Also, "In 183 1, Warwick 
was visited by a dysentery of a very malignant type, 
which swept off, in about seven weeks, sixteen per- 
sons, old and young. In the families of John Whit- 
ney, jun., and John Bowman, four died out of each 
within a few days. Mr. Bowman's sister and child 
were buried at one time : at another, a week after, 
he himself and another child were buried at the same 
time." 

Rev. D. H. Barlow supplied the desk in 1845, 1846, 
and 1847, a part of the time, but resided in town only a 
part of the time. Rev. Samuel F. Clark in 1848, one 
half of the time, and in Athol the other part, where 
he was settled the following year. Rev. George F. 



i6o HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Clark was installed as pastor of this church April 14, 
1848. Rev. F. T. Gray of Boston preached the ser- 
mon ; Rev. O. C. Everett of Northfield made the 
installing prayer ; Rev. S. F. Clark of Athol gave the 
right hand of fellowship. He was dismissed April i, 
1852. After his dismission, Rev. Luther Wilson of 
Petersham supplied till April i, 1854. Rev. Abra- 
ham Jackson of Walpole, N.H., supplied from April i, 
1854, to April I, 1855. The Rev. John Goldsbury 
commenced to supply in 1856, and continued to 
April I, 1859. The Rev. Increase S. Lincoln com- 
menced his ministry in September, i860, and closed 
his labors for this church in June, '1867. The Rev. 
J. B. Willard of Harvard supplied through the sum- 
mer and autumn of 1867. From that time to Sept, 
20, 1868, the pulpit was supplied by different clergy- 
men. The Rev. William A. P. Willard commenced 
his labors Sept. 20, 1868, and was ordained as pastor 
of this church and society Jan. 20, 1869. The ser- 
vices on that occasion were as follows : Invocation 
by Rev. M. Baker of Orange. Reading of the Scrip- 
tures by Rev. J. Goldsbury of Warwick. Sermon by 
Rev. J. F. Moors of Greenfield. Ordaining prayer by 
Rev. J.B. Willard of Harvard. Charge by Rev. S. 
Barber of Bernardston. Right hand of fellowship by 
Rev. I. S. Lincoln of Winchester, N.H. Address to 
the people by Rev. Mr. Baker of Orange. Benedic- 
tion by the pastor-elect. The singing, under the 
direction of Capt. E. F. Mayo, was in fine taste ; and 
its departing strains will linger upon the ear a long 
time. The church was wreathed, arched, and gar- 
landed with evergreens, in a style that did credit to 
the manao-ers. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. l6l 

April I, 1870, Mr. Willard tendered his resignation 
to the church, to take effect Oct. i, 1870. Resigna- 
tion accepted by the church, and by the society soon 
after. Since that time the church has been desti- 
tute of a pastor, but has been suppHed by the Rev. 
John Goldsbury of Warwick for the former, and the 
Rev. Mr. Bailey of Athol for the latter part of the 
time. Unitarian preachers originating from War- 
wick: Rev. John Goldsbury, Rev. Nathan Ball, Rev. 
Amory Gale, Rev. Stillman Barber, Rev. Amory D.' 
Mayo, and the Rev. Henry H. Barber. 

Their church edifice (as has been said) was erected 
in 1836, and was first painted and repaired in 1846 
by Joshua T. Sanger, under the superintendence of 
Ira Draper, Caleb M. Proctor, and James Stockwell, 
a committee chosen for the purpose, who assessed 
$150 upon the pews to defray the expenses of said 
repairs. Mr. Sanger was faithful to his trust ; and his 
work was jDerformed in a substantial and acceptable 
manner. 

In 1859, after the church had been considerably 
damaged by a stroke of lightning, a committee was 
elected, consisting of Ira Draper, Hervey Barber, 
and N. E. Stevens, to superintend the repairs upon 
the same, who were instructed to assess a sufficient 
sum upon the pews in said church to deiray the 
expenses thereof, not exceeding $300. Said commit- 
tee contracted with Mr. John Turner of Orange, for 
the sum of $258, to perform the above services, and 
assessed $269 upon the pews to pay the same, and 
other contingent expenses thereof 

Again, in 1870, the parish voted to raise $$00 for 
14* 



l62 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

the purpose of new shingling, painting, and repairing 
their church ; and a committee was elected, consisting 
of Samuel W. Spooner, Hervey Barber, and Edward 
F. Mayo, who were instructed to assess so much of the 
above sum as would be sufficient to pay the repairs 
of all kinds upon the outside of the building ; while 
the papering, and other ornamenting of the inside, 
was to be raised by subscription, or in some other 
way that might be devised. Said committee assessed 
$434.52 upon the pews, and employed the Messrs. 
Graves Brothers of Amherst (by the day) to paint 
and ornament, and William K. Taylor to shingle and 
repair, said church. 

Said committee by their treasurer (Hervey Barber) 
collected the above $434.52, and received of E. F. 
Mayo $284.02, a balance of the proceeds of two prior 
fairs, or levees, raised by the ladies of the society for 
the purpose of doing the ornamental work on the in- 
side of their church; and nearly $100 by donation 
from William B. Spooner of Boston, Rev. Mr. White 
of Keene, N.H., the Unitarian society at Springfield, 
Mrs. Merrifield, and others ; and $60 as the proceeds 
of lectures given by Rev. A. D. Mayo, Rev. J. F. 
Moors, and Rev. H. H. Barber, — the balance from 
other sources making a sum-total of $1,067.83 as the 
expense of said repairs, which is now (March, 1872) 
all settled and paid : so that they not only have a 
well-proportioned church, but one that is completely 
and elegantly finished ; and they now have as neat, 
tastefully-arranged, and beautiful a church as can be 
seen in any of the adjoining towns. 

April I, 1864, Mrs. M ^ ^3 (Blake) Clap of Dorchester, 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 163 

Mass., upon the eightieth anniversary of her birth 
presented to the First Church and Society in War- 
wick (her native town) ^1,000; which was gratefully 
received by said Church and Society. 

April I, 1868, Mrs. Clap, on her eighty-fourth birth- 
day, made to said Church and Society another dona- 
tion of ;$ 1,000 ; which was received in the same spirit 
as the former. 

July, 1868, Miss Mary Ann Hastings of Framing- 
ham, Mass., bequeathed to the First Society in War- 
wick the sum of ^i.odd, the income of which is to be 
for their use forever. 

For this becjuest a vote of thanks is entered on the 
Society's records. 

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH (oRTHODOX). 

Rev. Roger C. Hatch, the second pastor of the 
Second Congregational Church in Warwick, after his 
dismission in 1853, resided in Warwick until the time 
of his death, which took place Sept. 12, 1868, at the 
advanced age of eighty years. During his residence 
here he was beloved and esteemed as a good citizen, 
a faithful pastor, an exemplary Christian, a true man, 
and devoted friend. 

Since the dismission of Mr. Hatch, the church has 
been supplied by the Rev. Daniel C. Frost, Mr. Charles 
E. Bruce a licentiate from Northfield Academy, and 
others, until 1855, when Rev. Henry M. Bridge, for- 
merly of the Methodist Church, was installed as its 
pastor. He was dismissed Dec. 20, 1859. 

Rev. E. H. Blanchard was ordained over this 



1 64 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

church April 25, i860, and was disniissed May i r, 
1868. Rev. Mr. Bissell suppHed from June, 1868, for 
nearly a year. Rev. Edward Barnard Bassett was 
invited to preach Sept. 2, 1869; and he was installed 
as pastor Dec. 15, 1869, and is the present pastor of 
this church (1872). 

We will here record an extract from " The Congre- 
gationalist and Boston Recorder" of Dec. 30, 1869: — 

" The sermon at the installation of the Rev. Mr. Bas- 
sett over the church in Warwick was preached by the 
Rev. Dr. Barstow of Keene, N.H. Installing prayer 
by the Rev. H. B^ Hooker, D.D. Charge to the pas- 
tor by the Rev. T. Cutler. Fellowship of the 
churches by Rev. A. B. Foster. Address to the 
people by Rev. E. Newton. Among the members of 
this little church, which is in the hill-country of 
Judaea, is a venerable mother in Israel, now in her 
ninety-second year. During thirteen years of her 
life, she read the Bible through every two months ; 
and has read it through more than one hundred times 
in all. Now, near the shore of the better land, .she 
realizes the value of the promise, ' And even to your 
old age I am He, and even to hoar hairs will I carry 
you.' And now we will introduce an incident of her 
early life, showing to the people of these railroad 
times how the people of Warwick travelled seventy 
years ago. This lady, Sarah Blake Leonard, then the 
wile of Francis Leonard, 2d, went to the residence of 
her father, Jonathan Blake, sen., in the following man- 
ner, — Mr. Leonard, his wife, and three children rid- 
ing on one horse, and carrying from thirty to forty 
pounds of old iron in a bag ; Mr. Leonard carrying 



HISTORY OF WARWICK, 



165 



a child on each arm, and his wife behind him carrying 
the baby in her lap, the iron swung across the saddle 
in the same way that the people of that day carried 
their grain to mill." 

Congregational preachers originating from War- 
wick : Rev. Jolm Fiske, D.D., Rev. Moses Fiske, Rev. 
Swan L. Pomroy, D.D., Rev. Nahum Gould, Rev. 
Junius L. Hatch, Rev. John Leonard, Rev. Francis 
Leonard, Rev. Levi Wheaton, Rev. George W, Bar- 
ber. This society and church united in 1871, and 
painted and repaired their church edifice. They 
employed the Messrs. Graves to do the ornamental 
work ; and they now have one of the neatest, the 
handsomest, and best-arranged churches, which is as 
ornamental and as well designed as any in this vicin- 
ity. 

THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN WARWICK. 

Exactly how early Baptists existed in this town we 
are not informed, but suppose that there were some 
as far back as 1797, when the church in Royalston 
was organized. 

In the history of the West-Royalston church, writ- 
ten in 1854, we find the following: "In May, 1798, 
twenty-two members of this church signified their 
intention to form themselves into a church in War- 
wick ; and they were dismissed agreeably to their 
request. At their first church-meeting. Elder Levi 
Hodge was chosen moderator." 

As this church had come into being as the result 
of a difficulty. Elder Hodge acted the part of a peace 
maker: so much so, that, in 1801, the church in Roy- 



1 66 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

alston requested him to become their pastor ; and 
Elder Hodge accepted of their invitation. In 1803 
the two churches were united ; and Mr. Hodge con- 
tinued as its faithful pastor until the time of his 
death, in 18 19, he all the time residing in Warwick. 
Elder J. M. Graves was the successor of Elder Hodge. 
In 1 8 17, Elder John Shepardson purchased a farm in 
the south part of this town, and settled upon it. 
Here he lived until the day of his death, some time 
in 1833, and preached in the schoolhouse in the south 
part of Warwick, and in South Orange, and Erving's 
Grant, nearly every sabbath, working faithfully in the 
service of his Master to a good old age, when he 
was called to a better world on high, there to receive 
his reward. 

On the 20th of January, 1843, fourteen persons, 
members of the Baptist church of Royalston and 
Warwick, petitioned to be set off as a branch of that 
church to meet in Warwick Centre. On the 14th of 
February following, the church voted to grant their 
request. The branch church chose Asa H. Conant 
clerk, and adjourned until April i. At the ad- 
journed meeting, Rev. E. M. Burnham was chosen pas- 
tor, and nine persons were added by letter from the 
South-Orange church, all of them inhabitants of 
Warwick. 

An ecclesiastical council was convened Aug. 20, 
and organized by the choice of Rev. Asaph Meriam 
moderator, and Rev. Erastus Andrews clerk. The 
council voted to recognize them as an independent 
church. Mr. Burnham continued to labor as their 
pastor until Nov. 2, 1844, when he asked and ol5- 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



167 



tained his dismission. Rev. L. Fay was then chosen 
pastor, and continued about two years. For the two 
following years, Rev. S. S. Kingsley was pastor. In 
1 849, Elder Fay again supplied the desk for about one 
year. Rev. Caleb Sawyer and others supplied the 
desk for nearly three years. 

In 1854, Rev, E. M. Barnham labored with them 
for one-half of the time. The desk was supplied for 
the most part of 1 856-1 857 by Rev. Jonas G. Ben- 
nett. The report to the Association* for 1858 was, 
"On the 1st of December last we parted with our 
late pastor, Rev. J. G. Bennett. The spring follow- 
ing (March), Rev. E. J. Emory came and filled the 
desk until April, 1861, when he received a call, and 
left for another part of his Master's vineyard." 

In May, 1861, Rev. G. B. Bills became the pastor 
and remained for a little over a year. After he left, 
the church was without a pastor until autumn, when 
the Rev. Lyman Culver assumed the charge, and 
preached until the winter of 1863-64, when the desk 
was again supplied by the Rev. Erastus Andrews. 
From 1864 to 1868 the Rev. L. F. Shepardson was 
the pastor of this church. The Rev. L. Fay and 
others supplied the desk until June, 1869, after which 
the Rev. E. D. Daniels became pastor for one year ; 
then the Rev. H. H. Woodbury supplied until the 
spring of 1871, when the Rev. C. Farrar became pas- 
tor, and continues to the present time. This church 
has received a donation of a thousand dollars the pres- 
ent year, from their deceased brother, Daniel Pierce, 
who gave to his brethren in trust for the furtherance oi 
tlie gospel of Christ. 



i68 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

The following Baptist ministers originated from 
Warwick : Rev, Ebenezer Barber, Rev. Henry Hol- 
man, Rev. Jona. Blake. 

UNIVERSALISTS. 

The Universalist society in Warwick was incorpo- 
rated Feb. 25, 1 8 14, and has been supplied by Rev. 
Robert Bartlett, John Brooks, Stillman Clark, T. Bar- 
row, E. Davis, and John H. Willis in 1851 and 1852, 
since which time they have had no regular preaching. 
They have no meeting-house. 

The following Universalist ministers originated from 
Warwick : Rev. Caleb Rich, Robert Bartlett, Eben- 
ezer Williams, and John Williams. 

EPISCOPALIANS. 

The Rev. Levi B. Stimson, an Episcopalian minis- 
ter, originated from Warwick. 

Summary of preachers who originated from War- 
wick : Orthodox Congregationalists, 9 ; Unitarians, 6 ; 
Universalists, 4 ; Baptists, 3 ; Episcopalian,!, — mak- 
ing 23 different preachers as natives of this town. 

SPIRITUALISM. 

During the winter of 1850-51 quite a sensation 
was raised among the usually quiet people of our 
town by the announcement in the secular papers, 
that, in several places in this vicinity, what were at that 
time called the " Rochester knockings " were heard. 
But very little was known of the matter by the people 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 169 

of our town until March 5, 185 1, when Mr. F. Che- 
ney and wife of Athol came by invitation, and gave 
a pubHc manifestation of the rappings, she being a 
medium for that phase of the* phenomena. Quite 
a company having assembled, and being somewhat 
startled by what was heard, and the intelligence 
accompanying the sounds purporting to be communi- 
cations from our departed friends that had left the 
mortal for the immortal shores, some of those present 
were favorably impressed on the subject, and re- 
turned home with a determination of giving the mat- 
ter a further investigation. But little more was done 
until September following, when the tippings were to 
be seen at a number of places in this town, also 
exhibiting like intelligence. Early in October these 
manifestations became quite common at the house of 
Dea. Hervey Barber ; and many were the visits that 
he and his family received from his townsmen, and 
from the people of the adjoining ones, who came 
to investigate these, at that time, new and almost 
miraculous movements. Soon after took place the 
phases of writing names and messages, and of seeing 
the forms of persons gone to the land of souls, 
who influenced one member of the family to speak 
and give information from the spirit world, and lec- 
tures on the reforms of the day, above the capacity of 
the individual that was used as the agent for the con- 
trolling power. These manifestations continued, and 
others were added to the list. . One member of the 
family became clairvoyant, and another clairaudient ; 
and nearly all the phases of mediumship now extant 
were there witnessed by large numbers : but they 



170 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



varied in their opinions as to the cause of the power 
that gave the intelligence they received. After con- 
siderable investigation, this family and several others 
became convinced that these demonstrations were 
what they claimed to be, — the testimony of our friends 
supposed to be dead ; that they still live, or, in other 
words, give a practical elucidation of the New-Testa- 
ment doctrine of immortality. But as soon as it 
became known that if was claimed that these, or the 
like manifestations, were seen and heard at the 
time that Jesus and his apostles were upon the earth, 
and could be proved from the sacred Record, its be- 
lievers, like those of old, " were everywhere spoken 
against;" and as the manifestations have continued 
with this family and several others, and as time has in- 
creased the number of the believers, and added strength 
to their faith in its divine origin and mission, and as 
the writer of this article is the only person in this town 
that has felt it to be his duty to preach this new gos- 
pel both at home and abroad, he and his associates 
desire that the above account of these things should 
be transmitted to posterity in this work, for their 
decision as to the utility and wisdom of their 
course. 

THE GREAT HAIL-STORM. 

On the 25th of July, 1866, a destructive storm of 
hail passed from north-west to south-east through the 
town, and extended into Orange. 

After a very hot and sultry morning, some clouds 
were to be seen (not far from two o'clock, p.m.) near the 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



171 



western horizon : soon an unusual commotion was ob- 
served, both to the south-west and north-west, in the 
clouds, indicating severe storms of wind, rain, or hail. 
Both of these showers were attracted to a point near 
the western boundary of the town, called Notch Moun- 
tain. These storm-clouds met near the south side 
of said mountain ; and near its southern base hail 
descended in large c|uantities, and the earth was cov- 
ered |o the depth of eight inches in this region. The 
hailstones were as large as walnuts, on an average : 
some of them were of the size of butternuts ; and 
devastation and a general destruction of all vegetable 
matter was the consequence of 'the powers of the 
united storms. Not only were the crops of grain and 
fruit literally destroyed, but, for some distance each 
way on the south side of this mountain, the trees of 
the forest were so badly cut to pieces that nearly all 
of them died. Said storm passed from this place to 
the east, over the farms of Ezekiel Ellis ; then to the 
south-east over those of Hervey Barber, C. W. Eddy, 
Henry M. Harvey, Albert Witherell, William H. Gale, 
and Ethan Gushing. These farms are located near 
the centre of its course : but the damage to the crops 
extended for more than a mile in width on each side ; 
and all the crops, except grass, were" entirely ruined. 
Many fowls were killed, and the roofs of many build- 
ings so badly damaged as to oblige the owners to 
cover them anew, — the glass on one side, and some 
of them on two sides, was broken to fragments ; and 
its path could be traced easily for several years after- 
wards. 

It will be understood, that, on each side of the ccn- 



17: 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



tre of the shower, the damage to the crops decreased 
as the distance increased ; and, from its place of be- 
ginning to its end, the hailstones were continually 
becoming smaller, its fury abating, and the damage to 
crops less severe. 

The citizens of Warwick that resided beneath its 
length and breadth were damaged to the amount of five 
thousand dollars, — perhaps more, as no true appraisal 
can be made .; and no one storm of any kind, since the 
great tornado of 182 1, has been the cause of the destruc- 
tion of so large an amount of property. But our usually 
calm atmosphere and quiet earth were not left many 
days in peace ; for, on the Saturday following, one of 
the heaviest showers of rain that was ever known 
fell on and about Mount Grace. For the space of 
over a mile, the rain actually poured doivn for over an 
hour ; and the inoiintaiji-rills became roaring torrents, 
the small brooks foaming rivei's. Many farms were 
injured to a large amount ; and the highways that lead 
from the village towards Northfield and Winchester 
were in several places apparently ruined : so that the 
town was injured to a large amount in roads and 
bridges. Oct. 4, 1869, there was a general rain-storm 
in this vicinity. The rain fell for over six hours in 
torrents ; and the destruction of property was greater 
than in 1866, as the storm extended over the whole 
town. The roads were damaged to a large amount. 
Many bridges were swept away : so that the public 
loss was considerable, but the private loss still great- 
er. Among the sufferers were Martin Harris, David 
Shepardson, and James S. Wheeler, whose losses 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 173 

were great, and many others considerable. A few 
days after, there was quite a heavy shower in the 
north part of the town; and, as the ponds were 
ah-eady full, it broke A. I. Kidder's reservoir-dam, 
swept away his stave-mill, took down his saw-mill and 
dam, and left not a vestige of either to be seen upon 
the spot where they stood. It also broke several 
other dams, washing away bridges that came in the 
way ; causing damage to over four thousand dollars 
within a very small distance, 

April 25, 1872. — It being the ninety-fifth anniver- 
sary of the birth of Mr. Phinehas Child, his friends, 
to the number of thirty-six, assembled at the resi- 
dence of his children, on Flower Hill in Warwick, 
and enjoyed a social season in a quiet way, by grasp- 
ing the friendly hand, and conversing freely on the 
general subjects of the day, in which he still takes a 
lively interest, and calmly gives his opinion as in 
days gone by ; for he retains his faculties, both men- 
tal and physical, in a remarkable degree for a man 
so far advanced in years. After partaking of a 
bountiful repast, furnished by the visitors, and listen- 
ing to an explanation of an ornamental cake pre- 
sented by the wife of the Rev. Charles Farrar, and an 
historic original poem written for the occasion, as a 
ffreetins: of welcome for him to his friends, and ex- 
pressing his thanks for their friendly call, the visitors 
departed to their homes, feeling that another milestone 
had been placed in their earthly path as well as in his, 
as a memento of love, respect, and kind regards to 



174 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



him for his long, useful, and honest life, and to 
themselves for their appreciation of virtue and moral 
worth in the character of one who has with several 
of them been a resident of our town for nearly sixty 
years. 





INTRODUCTION TO THE APPENDIX 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



We have thought it advisable, before giving the perusal 
of the Appendix to the History of Warwick, to present to 
our readers a brief genealogy of our deceased friend and 
fellow-citizen, the Hon. Jonathan Blake, and of his ances- 
tors from the earliest settlement of New England, together 
with an account of his labors, and the responsible offices 
that he held, with specimens of his poems ; believing it 
due to his descendants for what he did for our town dur- 
inof his long and useful life. H. B. 



[by, HIS BROTHER, SAMUEL BLAKE.] 

Hon. Jonathan Blake was a descendant in the seventh 
generation from William and Agnes Blake of Dorchester, 
through Elder James, Dea. James, James " the annalist," 
Samuel, Jonathan. His ancestry is traced back four genera- 
tions in England, prior to his emigrant ancestor, William, 
who was born in 1594. 



176 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Hon. Jonathan Blake, " the Historian of Warwick," was 
born in Dorchester, Mass., May 29, 1780. 

He was son of Jonathan and Sarah (Pierce) Blake.* 
His father moved to Warwick in 1781, and died there 
Oct. 8, 1836, in the eighty-eighth year of his age. His 
mother died Aug. 15, 1831. 

Jonathan Blake married Patty Conant of Warwick, Jan. 
18, 1803. They had six children. 
She died in Warwick, Oct. 21, 18 19. 
He married, for his second wife, Mrs. Betsey (Howland) 
Ballard 0/ Gill, Aug. i, 182 1. 

He died April 13, 1864, at Brattleboro', Vt., aged eighty- 
four years. 

He wrote the History of Warwick from its first settle- 
ment to the year 1854. He was a natural poet. He wrote 
a great amount of poetry on various subjects and on all occa- 
sions. He kept a voluminous diary for nearly sixty years. 

He was in public business the most of his mature life. 
He was a distinguished surveyor of land, the practice ot 
which profession has been peculiar to the Blake family from 
the first settlement of Massachusetts Bay. He was a friend 
to all public improvements, and an ardent advocate of rail- 
roads in their early days. 

He resided in Warwick seventy-three (73) years. 
Was town clerk of Warwick fifteen (15) years ; served as 
selectman, overseer of the poor, and assessor nine (9) 
years ; was acting justice of the peace forty-two (42) years ; 
representative to the General Court two (2) years ; senator 
of Massachusetts two (2) years ; county commissioner in 
Franklin County nine (9) years, and chairman of the 
board three (3) years ; a member of the Unitarian Church 
in Warwick over fifty years ; superintendent of the sab- 
bath school about twenty years. His influence was always 

* See " Blake Family," page 56. 



APPENDIX. 



177 



for good. He was a dutiful son, a beloved brother, a kind 
husband, a tender father, and has left posterity a rich patri- 
mony in an example of an industrious, useful, and Christian 
life. 



SPECIMENS OF THE POETRY OF HON. JONA. 
BLAKE. 

WARWICK. 

From Warwick's lofty mountains 

And everlasting hills 
Flow many sparkling fountains, 

And precious, cooling rills. 

How free from all diseases 

That mind and health impair ! 

How pure her summer breezes ! 
How soft her balmy air ! 

Now, where in all creation 

Can such a place be found 
For mental elevation 

To flourish and abound ? 

Proud Science here can flourish, 

And ever will prevail 
To stimulate and nourish 

The mind that's sound and hale. 

The votary of Pleasure 

Would here be sure to find 
A more enduring treasure 

Than California's mine. 

And Music's silvery tongues, 
* In harmony divine. 

Shall sing her glorious songs, 
Enchantingly sublime. 



J. Blake. 



178 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

And Wisdom's choicest treasures 

Sliall raise her sons to fame, 
And bless their grand endeavors 

With an everlasting name. 

Brattleboro', Jan. 4, i85o. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL CELEBRATION. 

IN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 

Ques. O KIND teachers ! can you tell us 

Where the path to glory goes ? 

Can you warn us of our dangers ? 

Can you save us from our foes t 

Ans. Yes, dear children, we can tell you 
Of 'the road that leads to bliss : 
We can warn you of its dangers 
Through a world of sin like this. 

Qites. O kind teachers ! tell the story : 
How our bosoms pant to know 
What will make us good and happy 
While we live on earth below ! 

Ans. Yes, dear children : '/?> the Bible, — 

Blessed book ! — that tells the story, — 
How the young may love their Maker, 
How the saints prepare for glory. 

Ques. O kind teachers ! let us read it. 

Let us treasure up its meaning : 
All the good and great will love us ; 
For 'twill make us leave off sinning. 

Ans. Blessed children, how we love you ! 
We can never cease to praise 
Him who gave us all his bounty, — 
Life and health, and peace and grace. 

J. Blake. 

Warwick, Oct. 2, 1S41. 



APPENDIX. ^79 



DEDICATION HYMN 

FOR THE NEW UNITARIAN CHURCH IN WARWICK. 

Omnipotent and omniscient God, 

Accept of tliis earthly abode 
Our hands have upreared to thy name : 

Let thy presence, Iil:e heavenly light, 

Seraphic, diffusive, and bright, 
Here come, and forever remain. 

Let thy Spirit of peace, love, and joy, 

Without any earthly alloy, 
Descend like the dew that distils. 

Harmonious and heavenly Guest, 

Fill every worshipper's breast, 
And soften our obdurate wills. 

Inscribed on thy pages, O God ! 

Are words that thy goodness bestowed 
To make us both happy and wise. 

We hallow tliis temple to thee, — 

The altar to which we would flee 
To offer our best sacrifice. 

We have built this house for thy praise : 

Oh ! make it a portal of grace 
To usher us onward to heaven : 

Like doves to their windows we'll come, 

Or prodigals hastening home 
To join in an endless thanksgiving. 

J. Blake. 

Warwick, Oct. 4, 1836. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



DEDICATION HYMN. 

READ AT THE RE-DEDICATION OF THE UNITARIAN CHURCH, 
AFTER ITS REPAIRS. 

To thee, our Maker and our God, 

We dedicate this house of prayer : 
Here may we listen to thy word. 

And here thy benediction share ! 
Here may thy word like dew distil 

Its fragrance in this holy place, 
And hearts submissive to thy will 

Its holy precepts to embrace ! 

Here may the strains from mortal tongues 

Begin the everlasting song, — 
That endless, that eternal one, 

That, rapt in glory, saints prolong ! 
Here may the Spirit guide in prayer 

That erst descended from above, 
And all our supplications share 

The blessing of redeeming love ! 

Here may our aged fathers come 

When on the tottering brink of time. 
In earnest of that heavenly home, 

That better, holier, happier clime ! 
And here may all prepare to meet 

Their summons at our Saviour's call, 
And, welcomed at his mercy-seat, 

The great I Am ! the All in All J 

J. Blake. 

Brattlkobro', July 3, 1859. 



APPENDIX. l8 

LINES TO BE SUNG AT A DONATION-PARTY IN 
WARWICK, MASS. 

To Him that formed the starry skies 

Let all the praise be given, — 
The Great, the Good, the Only Wise, 

Who sent his Son from heaven. 

He came, a messenger of peace, 

Glad tidings to proclaim, 
Of endless joys and happiness, — 

All in his Father's name. 

He told us where our duty lies ; 

How love to God is shown — 
Better than formal sacrifice — 

By love to every one. 

Our harps upon the willows hung. 

Like captive Jews of old ; 
God's house shut up, his praise unsung. 

No one to pen the fold. 

In kindness and in love appears 

A friend in time of need, 
Whose generous heart dispels our fearsj 

And sows the precious seed. 

We meet this day to consecrate, 

Each one, their little mite 
To him whose labors here of late 

Proclaim what's good and right. 

God grant him peace and happiness. 

And we'll reward his care ; 
And may his work of righteousness 

Each one for heaven prepare ! 



?RATTr.EBORo', Nov. 12, 1858. 



J. Blake. 



iS2 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



LINES OF CONDOLENCE 

ADDRESSED TO MR. AND MRS. , ON THE DEATH OF THEIR 

DAUGHTER. 

Parental love may strive to save 
A blooming infant from tlie grave, — 

The object of tlieir love ; 
But purer love and higher claims 
The God who made it still maintains, 

And summoned it above. 

Sweet little child, it dies, it dies ! 
Its breath departs, its spirit flies, 

And leaves its clog of dust ; 
While shining seraphs guide it home, 
Up to its heavenly Father's throne, 

To dwell among the just. 

In faith convey its body on. 
Commit its keeping to the tomb : 

It cannot there remain. 
(A grain of wheat must die to grow 
In richest soil where waters flow) 

Your child shall live again. 

Though sown a mortal, sure she'll rise 
Immortal heir of paradise, 

Of purity and bliss ; 
And, clothed in garments white and clean, 
Forever praise thee, One supreme, 

In endless happiness. 

J. Blake. 

Dorchester, Oct. 25, 1851. 




APPENDIX 



TO THE HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



We now come to the second part of our work, which we 
entitle an Appendix to the. History of Warwick, wherein we 
record some incidents not mentioned in Mr. Blake's 
manuscript; and, not wishing to interfere with his arrange- 
ments, we place them in this part, so that they may be kept 
for the benefit of future generations. With some of those 
that he has recorded, we have added such further expla- 
nations as we thought needful to make them well understood, 
and others not so much of direct history as those in the first 
part of our volume ; but we think they will be of interest to 
some families, as their ancestors were the principal actors 
in the events here recorded. 

We will here insert the names of the owners of the fiity- 
acre or home lots, when surveyed in 1737 ; also, who owned 
the same lots when the first plan of the township of Gard- 
ner's Canada (now Warwick) was made : who owned, or 
were settled on said lots in 1761, when all the settlers' 
names were taken at the new meeting house in said town, 
by order of the proprietors ; and also who reside on or 
own these lots at the present time, 1872, as near as we can 



i84 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



determine by the proprietors' plan, containing a survey of 
the said lots, and the one hundred acre-lots surveyed in 
1738: — 





Owners in 1737. 


A few years after. 


1761 


1872. 


No. I 


Samuel Stevens 


Samuel Stevens 


not settled 


B. Davis's place 


2 


Benj. Smith 


Benj. Smith 


Geo. Robbins 


A. Blake, mills 


3 


Gresham Davis 


G. Davis 


not settled 


E. Collar's place 


4 


Wm. Dudley 


Wm. Dudley 


John Goodale 


Morris Coughlin, 
pasture 


3 


Jos. Weld 


Jos. Weld 


Moses Evans 


Coughlin and J. 
Blake 


6 


Jos. Gardner 


Jos. Heath 


not settled 


Coughlin & others 
(in part) 


7 


Eleazor Ham- 
mond 


E. Hammond 


not settled 


J. Shepardson (in 
part) 


s 


Josiah Cheney 


J. Cheney 


not settled 


I. Whittimore's 
heirs 


9 


Peter Aspinwall 


P. Aspinwall 


Sam'l Pratt 


Whitmore and 
Flagg (in part) 


10 


John Wilson 


Benj. Wilson 


not settled 


J. Leonard, farm 


II 


Wm. Sharp 


Wm Sharp 


Sam'l Ball 


f. W. Green, farm 


52 


Kbnr. Smith 


Elias Smith 


Mosely Alvard 


W. Flagg (in part) 


13 


Sam'l Griffm 


Sam'l Griffin 


not settled 


W. Flagg and 

others 
R. Knight, farm 


■14 


Ebnr. Case 


Elias Clark 


Amariah Roberts 


15 


Sam'l Newall 


James Ball 


not settled 

John P.randon « 


Bird's pasture. &c. 


16 


Edward White 


E. White 


'W. Burnett, farm 


17 


Sani'l Fisher 


Sam'l Tucker 


Tim* Nurse , 


f\y. B. farm, and 
Coughlin, north 
part 


18 


F.bnr. Crafts 


Stephen Wall 


not settled 


Green and Moore 


ig 


Sam'l Peacock 


Ira Welch 


" '■< 


Kimball & others 


20 


John Parker 


John Foster 


Joseph Perry 


Kimball & others 


21 


Joseph Heath 


Joseph Waite 


Ichabod Johnson 


Patridge & others 


22 


Sam'l Wioht 


Sarri'l Wi^ht 


not settled 


N. Jones & others 


23 


Joseph Weld 


Joseph Weld 


Andrew Blunt 


D. N. Shepardson 


24 


Isaac Stedman 
Samuel Davis 


Isaiah .Allen 
Sam'l Davis 


Amos Maish 


Houghton place 


25 


not settled 


H. Williams 


26 


Samuel Clark 


Sam'l Clark 


Nathan Stevens 


John Morse 


27 


E. Hammond 


E. Hammond 


David Bassett 


E. Barber, pas- 
ture 


28 


John Shepard 


Joseph Shepard 


not settled 


A. Albee's, Cook 
place 


29 


Thos. Hartshorn 


Thos. Hartshorn 


" " 


Fisk Cemetery, 
&c., Fisk place 


3'5 


John Gay 


John Seaver 


Ebnr. Davis 


Barnard Fisher 


31 


Minister loi 


Minister lot 


not settled 


H. M Harvey 


3^ 


Ministry lot 


Ministry lot 




Wid. Holbrook 


33 


Edward Morris 


Edward Morris 


Israel Olmstead 


C. W Hastings 


34 


Ebnr. Crafts 


Ebenr. Cragin 


Simeon Olmstead 


S. Reed, Smith 
place 


3t 


Ebiir. Mande 


E.Maurice 


Sam'l Scott 


Sam'l Reed 


36 


James Frizzell 


I. Frizzell 


Sam'l Spaulding 


James Goldsbnry 


37 


Joseph Heath 


Jos Heath 


Amzi Doolittle 
Jos Mavo ) 


J. Goldsbury and 
others 


38 


Thomas Mayo 


Thomas Mayo 


A.Dool.ttle.jun. \ 


Elisha Brown 


39 


[ohn Seaver 


John Seaver 


Sam'l Scott, jun. 


K. Brown & others 


40 


Israel Hearsay 


Sam'l Morse 


Sam'l Bennett 


W. E. Russell's 
pasture 







APPENDIX. 


1S5 




Owners in 1737. 


A few years after. 


1761. 


1872. 


No 41 


Benj. White 


Gershoni Davis 


Moses Evans 


M M Stevens 


42 


\Vm. Dudley 


Joseph Gould 


Moses Evans 


M. M. Stevens & 
others 


43 


Win Dudley 


Charles Marsh 


Moses Evans 


A. K Litchfield 


44 


Robert Harris 


Robert Harris 


James Ball 


Litchfield and 
Goldsbury 


45 


John Masecroft 


Wm. Dudley 


Thomas Rich 


Cassius (joldsbury 


46 


Benj. Bugbee 


Wni. Dudley 


Jonathan Perry 


J. & J. Goldsbury 


47 


Joseph Daniels 


Robert Harris 


Joseph Goodale 


[oseph Fierce 


4S 


John Chandler 


Jno. Chandler 


David Allen 


G. H. Richards 


49 


i'imothy Mosnian 


I'imo. Mosman 


Kdvvard Allen • 


E. & E. F. ALayo 


50 


Sam'l Perry 


Sam'l Perry 


Barnabas Russell 


Messrs. iSLixo and 
others 


51 


Timothy Whitney 


Timo. Whitney 


Nathan B.all 


Messrs. ^L^yo and 
others, Ball 
Farm 


52 


Robert Sharp 


Robert Sharp 


Moses Leonard 


Messrs. Mayo and 
others. Ball 


53 


John Allen 


John Mayo 


David Avers 


r ai m 
Asa Gould and 
others 


54 


Shubael Seaver 


Joseph Weeks 


David Avers, jun. 


Heirs of D. Tyler 


55 


Thomas Tait 


Robert Daniels 


not settled 


Heirs of D. Tyler 


r % 


Andrew Gardner 


Robert Heath 


Jedediah Wood 


C. G. A. Prentice 


57 


Robert Daniels 
Thomas Mayo 


Robert Bennett 


Abner Collin 
Silas Tciwn 


C. Hastings 
John Stearns 


58 




59 


Andrew Seaver 


A. Seaver 


not settled 


John Steariis 


60 


John Ruggles 


John Ruggles 




J Stearns and 
others 


61 


John Parker 


John Parker 


Charles Woods 


John Whipple 


62 


John Willson 


John Willson 


E. Prestcott 


R Weeks's heirs 


63 


School lot 


School lot 


not settled 


Wid Lois Smith 



[ 



THE WAR OF 1812-14. 

This wai" with Great Britain was declared by a vote of 
the Congress of the United States, in the month of June, 
181 2, by a vote of sevent3^-nine to forty-nine in the House, 
and of nineteen to thirteen in the Senate ; and, on the 
i8th, Pres. Madison signed the bill, and war was formally 
declared the next day. In this war the citizens of Warwick 
took an active part in defence of their country's rights, 
although a majority of them were opposed to its declaration. 
Among those that enlisted in the United-States service 
were John Ager, George Stockwell, Henry Whipple, and 

Parmenter (privates) ; Benjamin Eddy (drum-major) ; 

Obadiah Bass (musician). 



i86 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

We find on the records of the South company of the 
Mihtia in our town the following regimental orders : — 

To Capt. William Burnett, Jun. 

In pursuance of Brigade Orders, bearing date of Sept. 9, 
1814, you are hereby commanded to detach forthwith, from the 
company under your command, one ensign, one sergeant, and 
fourteen privates, well armed and equipped, as the law directs. 
You are lilcewise further commanded to parade your detached 
men near the academy, in New Salem, on Tuesday the thir- 
teenth day of September, inst., at nine o'clock, a.m., and there 
to wait for further orders. 

Benj. S. Wells, 
Col. id Regt., 2d Brig., ^tk Div. 
Montague, Sept. 9, 1814. 

Sept. ii, 1S14. 
Agreeable to regimental orders, a training was appointed to 
be held on Monday, Sept. 12, 1814; and the clerk received or- 
ders from Capt. Wm. Burnett for warning the company, which 
was duly performed according to orders. 

Sept. 12, 1814. 

Agreeable to appointment and legal notice, the comi^any met 
at the usual place of parade at eight o'clock, a.m., and was 
called to order by the captain. Voted and chose Cummins 
Lesure clerk pro tern. The company roll was called, and other 
duty performed ; and a detachment was made, and the follow- 
ing persons were detached ; viz., Ebenezer Stearns (ensign) ; 
Ebenezer Barber (sergeant) ; Ephraim Tuel, Manning Wliee- 
lock, Jonas Leonard, Willard Packard, Dexter Fisk, David 
Gale, Jun., Stejjhen Ball, William Boyle, Abijah Eddy, Jonas 
Conant, Samuel Abbot, Peter Warrick, Daniel Smith, Artemas 
Baker (privates). 

(Attest) Lemuel Wheelock, Clerk. 



APPENDIX. 



187 



The above order was also issued to the North company 
in town ; and said company was called together accordingly. 
But, as the records of said company have not been found, 
we therefore add the following names of persons, that, as 
we are informed, were detached on said occasion for like 
services : Abner Goodale (ensign) ; Nathan Atwood, 
Stephen Williams, Joseph Williams, jun., James Ball, jun., 

Samuel Ball, Ezra Ripley, Eli Stockwell, Maxwell 

(privates). 

Stephen Gale, Benoni Ballou, George Jaseph, Joseph 
Jaseph, James Fuller, and some others, went into the service 
in place of some of the detached men, they having been 
hired in their stead. Of the aforesaid only these are now 
living in Warwick : Ebenezer Barber, Henry Whipple. 

During the autumn of 18 14, John Quincy Adams and 
others, from the government of the United States, were sent 
to Ghent, in Belgium, to meet commissioners from Great 
Britain ; and, on the 24th of December, a treaty of peace 
was signed. The news reached our country Feb. 11, 
1815. Late at night a horseman was heard galloping 
through the streets of Washington with news of peace ; and 
" Peace ! peace ! " soon resounded on all sides. 

The joyful news soon circulated throughout the country. 
It was here, when received, as well as everywhere else, 
hailed with delight which would, at this time of railroads, 
steamboats, and telegraph wires, be considered tardy in the 
extreme. And on the eighteenth day of February, the 
treaty was ratified by the United-States Senate ; and peace 
was thereby secured, leaving a government debt of over a 
hundred million dollars, with our commerce destroyed, and 
all kinds of industry depressed. But we are proud to 
affirm, that, under the influence of our free institutions, the 
above debt was in a few years all paid, and a large amount 
of surplus revenue divided among the States. 



1 88 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

An Extract front the Reflections on the Tornado which 
passed from Northfield, throits^h Warwick^ to Orani^e, 
Sept. 9, 1 82 1. By Elder John Shepardson, IVarwick, 
fanuary, 1822. 

How mighty is the voice of God ! 

How heavy is his hand ! 
When once he sways his awful rod, 

None can liis power withstand. 
Oft has he spoke, of ancient date. 

As many writers say ; 
And now he speaks to us of late 

In a surprising way. 

From western sky a cloud arose, 

Some thunder and some rain ; 
A wind which nothing could oppose, — 

It swept both hill and plain. 
It broke the trees of largest size, 

Tore up the flinty rocks, 
Striking all nature with surprise, 

Disturbed the peaceful flocks. 

It swept off barns, and houses too. 

With all the goods they owned. 
Leaving whole families in woe, 

And some with broken bones. 
But oh ! the most surprising stroke, 

Too shocking to relate : 
Two blooming youths by whirlwind spoke 

To the eternal state. 

Oh ! come, ye living, search and spy. 

And view the wonder well ; 
Go forth from Northfield mountain high 

To Orange lofty hill ; 
Go see the wounded, hear their groans. 

And hear the mourner's cries ; 
See the rent earth her God doth own 

With wonder and surprise. 



APPENDIX. 



189 



We will here insert, for the purpose of preserving them, 
the names of our truly noble sons who toiled, bled, suf- 
fered, and died in the service of their country during the war 
of the Rebellion. 

Some of them removed from town prior to the com- 
mencement of the war, but had not become residents of 
any other place previous to their enlistment into the Union 
army. All honor to such ! 

We will first record the names of those that died ; and 
their names are inscribed on our Soldiers' Monument : — 



Henry W. Lawrence, 
Francis L. Moore, 
Levi E. Switzer, 
Frederic Williams, 
Benjamin Hastings, 
LaFayette Nelson, 
Edward N. Coller, 
Seth A. Woodward, 
Henry H. Manning, 



James D. Delvee, 
Charles Jones, 
Jas. Henry Fuller, 
Willard Packard, 
Franklin Pierce, 
John B. Caldwell, 
Warren H. Blake, 
Joseph V.'. Sawyer, 
Alexander Cooper, 



Leander S. Jillson, 
M. Stanley dishing, 
Monroe L. B. Patridge, 
Joseph Drake, 
PIdwards Davis, 
James M. Chapin, 
Jacob S. Rayner, jun., 
S.P. Shepardson, jun., 
Joseph W. Ellis (27). 



The following are the names of those that returned, and 
are now residing in Warwick : — 



Lyman Mason, Rayal E. Stimson, 

Nath. M. Pond, Jesse F. Bridge, 

Henry H. Jillson, George Jennings, 

Dwight S. Jennings, George E. Cook, 



Harwood S. Proctor, 
Joseph A. Williams, 
AVilliam Dugan (u). 



Names of those that returned, but removed to other 
places : — 



Joseph Spencer, 
Henry O. Cook, 
George Mason, 
Frederic Quinn, 
Amory Gould, 2d, 
Alphonzo Rayner, 



Richards Mayo, 
Henry Witherell, 
Alonzo Scott, 
Dwight E. Stone, 
Orrin Curtis, 
Chas. E. Randall, 



Charles Lawrence, 
Theodore Putnam, 
Jairus Hammond, 
Albert C. Barber, 
Artemus W. Ward. 
Richard Weeks, jun. 



igo 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



William Weeks, 
Francis L. Fuller, 
Joseph Putnam, 
R. Harding Barber, 
Henry W. Kidder, 
Andrew J. Curtis, 
George Severance, 
George B. Cobb, 



Sumner Lincoln, 
Peter Dyer, 
John Farnsworth, 
Lewis Atwood, 
William H. Mason, 
A. R. Jennings, 
Joseph Adams, 
S. T. Underwood, 



Amos Taylor, 3d, 
Alfred Houghton, 
Elliot Stone, 
Charles W. Higgins, 
Albert L. Hunt, 
Silas Jennings, 
Samuel Adams, 

Total, 41 



Joseph Draper and Luke Delvee were drafted and ac- 
cepted, and each procured a substitute. 

Charles Goldsbury, WilUam H. Gale, M. W. S. Clark, 
*Henry O. Cook, *D\vight S. Jennings, Josiah Conant, 2d, 
George A. Gushing, and John M. Putney, were also drafted 
and accepted, and paid three hundred dollars each them- 
selves, or by their friends, and substitutes procured by the 
selectmen, or others. Total, eight. In all lists, seventy- 
nine. 



THE REBEL BELL. 

We've got a bell from Rebeldom, — 

A secesh bell, I mean, — 
Suspended from our school-house dome, 

LIpon the village green. 

Its voice rings out at morn and noon 

To call the happy throng 
Away from sports and games, 

From mirth and laugh and song. 

We know not where it used to hang, 

Nor whom it used to call : 
If amid scenes of mirth or grief 

Its notes were wont to fall. 



* Drafted after discliareed and returned from the armv 



APPENDIX. 191 

The rebels had designed to send 

This bell to Yankee foes, — 
Not all at once to ring for schoo], 

But how, the soldier knows. 

Perhaps its hanging here will save 

The life of some soldier brave ; 
And he'll comeback to friends and home, — 

Not fill a soldier's grave. 

We will not call it rebel now. 

Here in this North land free : 
It shall not stay and do its work. 

And still a rebel be. 

Oh, no ! a rebel at the North 

Is what we all despise ; 
Then we'll rechristen and rename 

Our little rebel prize. 

And let it hang and do its work ; 

And, when the war shall end, 
It shall ring out with joyful shout, — 

Its voice with others blend, 

To welcome back our soldier band. 

Our soldiers true and brave. 
Who are fighting, 'neath a Southern sky, 

For the Union and the slave. 

Then let it ring at morn and noon. 

No more a rebel bell : 
Its voice shall teach us liberty, 

It freedom's words shall tell. 

And may all those who enter here. 

Or listen to its voice. 
Make ivisdom, knowledge, liberty. 

Their earnest, lasting choice. 

Susie E. Barber, 

SVarwick, Dec. 20, 1862. 



192 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Said bell was taken from the rebels at New Orleans, on 
its way to the foundry to be cast into shot and shell to be 
sent by ordnance into the Union army ; which incited the 
author to compose the above lines, which were read on 
that occasion. 



LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS, &c. 

[written by J. BLAKE IN 1832.] 

There have been thirteen physicians established in this 
town for a longer or shorter term of time, only two of whom 
have died here. Their names are, — 

Medad Pomeroy, Benjamin Hazeltine, John Garfield, 
Ezra Conant, jun., Fairfield, Bliss, John Will- 
son, Peletiah Metcalf, Ebenezer Hall, Ebenezer Chaplin, 
Artemas Baker, Joel Burnett , and Amos Taylor. 

There has never been but one lawyer who attempted to 
gain a living among us ; viz., Henry Barnard, Esq 

There have been fourteen different persons chosen repre- 
sentatives to the General Court ; viz. : — 



No. years' service. 


No, years' 


service. 


Deacon James Ball . 


. 2 


Dea. Caleb Mayo 


• 7 


Col. Samuel Williams 


.. 2 


Ebenezer Williams . 


. I 


Thomas Rich . 


• 3 


Justus Russell . 


• 3 


John Goldsbury 


• 9 


Jonathan Blake, jun. 


. 2 


Nathaniel Cheney . 


. I 


Joseph Stevens 


• 3 


Oliver Chapin . 


• 3 


Lemuel Wheelock . 


. I 


Josiah Cobb . 


. 8 


Ashbel Ward . 


. 2 



We have been represented forty-seven years, and have 
been without a representative twenty-two years, since the 
town was incorporated. There have been twelve town 
clerks, who served the number of years set against their 
names, — 



Dea. James Ball 

Amos Marsh . 

Col. Samuel Williams 

Ezra Conant 

Dr. Ezra Conant, jun. 

John Conant 





APPENDIX. 


193 


No. years' 


service. 


No. years' service. 




. 12 


Josiah Pomeroy, jun. 


. 12 




• 4 


Jonathan Blake, jun. 


• 15 


ims 


• 3 


Ebenezer Hall . 


• 4 




• 9 


William Cobb, jun. . 


. I 


jun. 


. I 


Asa Thayer 


I 




. 9 


Dr. Amos Taylor 


• 3 



.\LL THE SELECTME.V, SINCE THE TOWN WAS INCORPORATED, AND 
THE NUMBER OF YEARS THEY SERVED SET AG.A.INST THEIR NAMES. 



Yea 



Moses Evans . 
Jonathan Woodard 
David Buckmau 
John Ormsbee . 
Peter Procter . 
Daniel Whitney 
Ebenezer Cheney 
Jacob Rich 
Joel Pierce 
Reuben Shattuck 



( 



John Whitney . 
Jacob Estey 
Zachariah Barber 
Ebenezer Pierce 
Perez Allen 
Elias Knowlton 
William Burnett, jun 
Elijah Fisk 
Jacob R. Gale . 
Josiah Rawson 



Making twenty selectmen that served one year each. 
Here follow those that have served two years : — 

Years. 



Joseph Gilbert 
Ezra Conant . 
David Cobb 
Seth Peck 
Joseph Mayo . 



Nathaniel Rich 
William Cobb . 
Abijah Eddy . 
Ansel Lesure . 
Samuel Ball 



Making ten that have served two years each. 
Those that served three years : — 



Amzi Doolittle 
Col. Samuel Williams 
Samuel Langley 
Dr. John Willson . 
'7 



Years. 

• 3 

■ 3 

• 3 

• 3 



Ebenezer Stearns 
Ebenezer Barber 
Col. James Goldsbury 
Total seven. 



Years. 

• 3 

• 3 



194 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



'J'hose that served four years : — 

Years, Years. 

Josiah Pomeroy . . .4 Amory Gale .... 4 
Josiah Procter . . . • 4 ' Total, three. 

Those that served five years : — 





Years. 




Years. 


Benjamin Con ant 


• 5 


Joseph Stevens 


• 5 


Benjamin Simonds . 


• 5 


Total, four. 




Capt. John Goldsbury 


• 5 







Those that served six years : — 
Nathaniel G. Stevens 



'ears. 




Years. 


. 6 


Justus Russell 


. 6 




Total, two. 


' 



Those that served seven years : — 

Years. Years. 

Jeduthan Morse . . .7 Ebenezer Williams . . .7 

Thomas Rich ... .7 Lemuel Wheelock . . .7 
Jonathan Gale . . . • 7 I Total, five. 

Only one that served eight years, — 

Dr. Medad Pomeroy, eight years. 

Those that served nine years : — 





Years. 




Years. 


Jonathan Blake, Jr. . 


• 9 


Caleb Mayo . 


. 9 


Amos Marsh . 


• 9 


Joshua Atwood 


• 9 


MarlcTVIoore . 


. 9 


Total, five. 





Those that served ten years : — 



Years. 
Dea. James Ball . . .10 



Years. 
Ashbel Ward . . . .10 
Total, two. 



Only one person served eleven years, — Col. James Goldsbury . 1 1 
Only one person served sixteen years, — Josiah Cobb . . . 16 



APPENDIX. 



^95 



Making sixty-one different selectmen ; and nearly one- 
third of them served only one year each. 

The above account is from the incorporation of the town 
up to and including the year 1832. 

[written by J. BLAKE IN 1854] 

In the past twenty-two years, we have chosen nine dif- 
ferent persons for representatives to the General Court. 
(Lemuel Wheelock had served one year before 1832), mak- 
ing twenty-two different persons that have represented this 
town since it was incorporated. 



Clark Stearns served one year, i ^ 

Ansel Davis " " i 

Samuel W. SpoDner served 

one year, i 

3j 



Making three persons that have 
served one year since 1S32, 
and add two before, making 
five in all that served one 
year, 



Those that served two years : — ■ 
2 years " 



William E. Russell, 
Ira Draper, 
John G. Gale, 



These three add to four that 
served before 1832, making 
seven in all that served two 
years, 7 



Served three years : — 

Jacob C. Gale, 3 years ] 

Abijah Eddy, 3 



- J 

Served six years : — 
Lemuel Wheelock, by adding one year before 1832 
Caleb Mayo, served seven years before 1832 
Josiah Cobb, served eight years before 1832 
John Goldsbury served nine years before 1832 . 

Twenty-two different representatives. 



Add these two to four that 
[ served before 1832, making 
six in all for for three years, 6 



196 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



The town has been represented sixty-seven years since it 
was incorporated, ninety-one years ago, and has been un- 
represented twenty-four years. 

Jonathan Blake, jun., was chosen a delegate to the con-, 
vention for amending the Constitution of the State in 1820. 

Samuel W. Spooner was chosen a delegate to the conven- 
tion for amending the Constitution in 1853. 

I have never seen any record of there being a delegate in 
the convention from this town, when our State Constitution 
was adopted in 1780. 

Town clerks, with the number of years they held the 
office, since 1832 : — 



Amos Taylor, 
Lemuel Wheelock, 
Abijah Eddy, 
George Chesebro, 
Ira Draper, 



6 years 

6 " 

3 " 

5 " 



There had been twelve differ- 
ent persons before 1832, and 
four since that time. Amos 
Taylor had served three 
years before and six years 
since, making nine years in 
all. So there have heen six- 
teen town clerks, all told. 



All the selectmen that had held that office before 1832 
were sixty-one. Since 1832 we have had eighteen different 
persons. 



Served one year : — 

Joel Pierce, 
Harvey Conant, 



I year ~| Add these two to twenty pre- 

1 " I vious ones, makes 22 that 22 
— • I" served one year only ; Ibri 

2 Baker, chosen this year, call i 



Those that ser\'ed two years : — 



Asa Wheeler, two years, added to ten previous ones, makes . 1 1 

1 And both chosen this year, 

n \'P3.T"S I 

" ,, V which 3 shall add with those 



S. N. Atwood, 
Edward F. Mayo, 



that have before. 



APPENDIX. 



197 



Served three years : — 

Samuel Blake, 3 years 

David Gale, jun. 3 " 

David Burnett, 3 " 

Lllark Stearns, " 3 " 

George W. Moore, 3 " 

John G. Gale, 3 " 



Added to 7 that served before 
I S3 2, making a total of 15 
;' that served three years each, 15 



S J 

Those that served four years : — 



William E. Russell, 
James Stockwell, 
Hervey Barber, 



4 years 
4 " 



Added to three that served pre- 
vious to 1832, total, 



Those selectmen that served five years :■ 



Jasper Leland, 
Ira Draper, 



5 years 
5 " 



Added to four that served pre- 
vious to 1832, makes total, 



two others before 



Those that served six years : — 

Joseph Stevens, three, added to ] Which, with ' 
three before, 6 years j 1832, make 

Those that served seven years : — 

Jacob R. Gale, six years since 1 One, added to five previous 
1832, and one before, makes 7 > f ones, m.akes 

Dr. Medad Pomeroy served eight years previous to 1832 

Five different persons served nine years Sach previous to 1832 . 

Two " " " ten years each " 

One " " " eleven years 

One " " " sixteen years " 



I 

5 
2 

I 

I 

80 



Mikh-ig eighty different selectmen since the town was 
incorporated, and the number of years each has served. 



198 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



RESIDENTS OF WARWICK OVER SEVENTY YEARS 
OF AGE. 



Names 0/ the Males. 

Age. 
Asa Atwood (pauper) . . 70 
Cushing Lincoln . , . -79 
Phinehas Child (widower) . 76 
Justus Russell . . -77 
Stephen Johnson (pauper) . 75 
Josiah Conant (widower) . 90 
Nathan C. Morse . . -79 
Jonas Conant . . .78 

Benjamin Conant . . ' l"^ 
Simeon Stearns . . -74 
David Ball .... 73 
Asa Bancroft . . . • IZ 
Caleb Weeks . . . .78 
Joseph Draper (widower) . 80 
Ezekiel Nelson . . .78 
Daniel Whitmore (pauper) . 80 
Aaron Bass . . . .71 
Samuel Williams (widower) . 73 
Isaac Hastings . . • 1^ 
Elijah Davis , . . .82 
William Howard . . .76 
Luther Smith . . .71 

Amos K. Whitney (widower) . 79 
John Stearns . . . .73 
Erastus Morgan (pensioner) . 89 
Jonathan Blake , . -73 

Males . . . .26 
Females . . • • })}) 

Total over seventy years. 59 
on Feb. i, 1854, at which time the 
above was taken. 



Names of the Females. 

Mary Lincoln . 
Lucinda Gale (widow) . 
Lois Goddard (widow) . 
Esther Morton (wid., pauper 
Azubah Whitmore (pauper) 
Elizabeth Whipple (widow) 
Sarah Leonard (widow) . 
Martha Leonard (widow) 
Eunice Morse 

Hannali Lesure (w., pensioner) 
Eunice Stearns (single) . 
Tamer Stearns (single) . 
Sarah Penniman (widow) 
Mary Gale (widow) 

Sophia Whitney (single) 

Polly Davis 

Polly Johnson 

Betsey Conant 

Susannah Blake (widow) 

Lucy Eddy (single) 

Sally ^Veeks . 

Polly Knowlton (widow) 

Lucy Field (single) 

Eunice Barnard (w., pauper 

Anne Conant . 

Leafy Howard 

Rose Sandin (widow) 

Amy Kelton (widow) 

Elizabeth Spencer (widow) 

Rebecca Brown (widow) 

Lydia Stockwell (widow) 

Hannah Leland (widow) 

Sally Mallory (single) . 



79 

78 

84 

78 

75 

71 

75 

80 

70 

90 

83 
71 
77 
83 
74 
74 
71 
72 
70 
71 
75 
74 
74 
80 

71 
75 
70 
70 
70 
81 
70 
80 



33 



There are now two persons in town over ninety 5-ears of 



APPENDIX. 



199 



age, — one man and one woman ; eleven between eighty 
and ninety years of age, — four men and seven women; 
and forty-six between the age of seventy and eighty years. 
Of the above, five are widowers, and eighteen are widows ; 
six are maiden hidies. There are two pensioners, — one 
man and one woman. Six of the above are maintained by 
the town ; viz., three men and three women. 

There is but one doctor to add to the thirteen that we 
counted in 1832, and he was here but a few years^ and then 
removed to Montague ; viz., Dr. George Wright. Dr. Amos 
Taylor, before mentioned, is the one now practising here, 
and has been the principal physician for nearly forty years. 
The first and only postmaster we have had until within a 
year was William Cobb, who held that office nearly fifty 
years, and until his death. 

[written by deacon hervey barber, 1S72.] 

The whole number of persons chosen by the town, previ- 
ous to 1854, to represent them in the Legislature of the Com- 
monwealth, was twenty-two. In 1855 and 1856, the town 
voted not to send. Since that time our town has been incor- 
porated into a district with Orange and New Salem for that 
purpose. Said district has been represented by a citizen 
of Warwick four times since its incorporation, by three 
different persons ; viz., Nathaniel E. Stevens, Esq., one 
year ; Rev. I. S. Lincoln, two years ; and E. F. Mayo, Esq., 
one year. The remainder of the time the district has been 
represented by citizens of Orange and New Salem. 

Previous to 1854, eighty different persons had been 
chosen, and served as selectmen of the town ; and the names 
and the years each one has served are to be found in the 
former pages of this work. 

From 1854 to 1872, inclusive, seventeen persons have 
performed like duties; viz., James L. Stockwell, one year; 



200 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and Ibri Baker, Clark Stearns, N. E. Stevens, S. W. Jillson, 
Hervey Barber, Eben G. Ball, for two years each. 

Henry G. Mallard, Charles R. Gale, William H. Gale, 
Lyman Atwood, for the term of three years each. 

S. N. Atwood, William H. Bass, Jesse F. Bridge, each for 
four years ; and Edward F. Mayo for the space of nine 
years, he having served three years prior to that time, make 
ing twelve years in all. S. N. Atw6od had also served three 
years previous, making seven in all. Hervey Barber, four 
previous, making six years as his time of service. Clark 
Stearns, three before ; showing that he has served five years. 
Ibri Baker, one prior, two subsequent, making three for him : 
so that we can now add twelve more names to the honor- 
able list that has preceded, namely, eighty ; it being a sum 
total of ninety-two citizens of our town that have been elected 
as selectmen, and performed the onerous duties of that im- 
portant office, since we have been known as the town of 
Warwick, — a little over a hundred and nine years. For 
twenty-seven years previous to 1763, under the j^roprietors, 
we were known as Gardner's Canada ; and from time im- 
memorial prior to 1736, "This country, that surrounds our 
beautiful Mount Grace, was called Sheomet, its Indian name." 

In summing up the above statement, we find that the 
persons that have served one year as selectmen are 23 ; 
those that have served two years, 14 ; also those that have 
served three years, 17 ; and those that served for four years, 
9 ; also for five years, 8 ; and for six years, 3 ; for seven 
years, 7 ; for eight years, i ; for nine years, 5 ; for ten years, 
2 ; for eleven years, i ; for twelve years, i ; for sixteen 
years, i : making a total of 92 in all, since 1763. 

The town first elected a superintending school-committee 
at the annual March meeting, 18 14. Before that time, the 
resident clergyman performed that service, it being con- 
sidered a part of his parochial duties; and from 1814 to 



APPENDIX. 20I 

1827, inclusive, Rev. Preserved Smith served as an honorary 
member and chairman of the Board ; and from 1822 to 1825 
the town neglected to choose any school-committee, as 
there are no names found upon the town records for that 
responsible office : so the Rev. P. Smith ably and satisfac- 
torily performed all the labor of that very important station 
for that term of years. In 1826, the town, at Mr. Smith's 
request, elected Dea. Josiah Proctor, Dr. Amos Taylor, 
and Capt. Ebenezer Barber, to assist him in its onerous 
duties. And from that time to the present, 1872, the town 
has annually chosen from three to twelve persons to serve 
them in that capacity. 

From that time, 18 14, to the present, the following per- 
sons have been elected, and have served the town in the 
capacity of Superintending School Committee, for the follow- 
ing terms of years, including 1832 : — 

Joshua Atwood, Dea. Caleb Mayo, Joiin Whitney, jun., 

Manning Wheelock, Thomas White, jun., Dea. Joel Pierce, 

Calvin Allen, Dea. G. W. Moore, Dea. Edward Mayo, 

Cushing Lincoln, Jasper Leland, Thomas Chase, jun., 

Dea. John Leonard, Joshua Williams, jun , George Jones, 

Rev. D. H. Barlow, A. C. Felton, Harvey Conant, 

Otis Brooks, Esq., PL G. Mallard, Esq., Rev. A. Jackson, 
James Goldsbury, jun., James Stockwell, Esq., Lyman Rich, 

Dr. C. J. Barber, Harry Grout, Chandler W. Bass, 

E. S. Proctor, Luke Delvee, George A. Cushing. 

Thirty persons, in all, that have served one year. 

Eben'r Williams, Esq., Amos K. Whitney, James Kelton, jun., 
Capt. John Stearns, Samuel Moses, jun., Harvey Robbins, 
Rev. S. S. Kingsley, Rev. George F. Clark, George N. Richards, 
Dea. D. Tyler, George W. Smith, Rev. W. A. P. Willard, 

D. M. Shepardson, William H. Bass, Rev. John Shephardson. 

Fifteen persons that have served two years. 



202 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Dr. Ebenezer Hall, Dea. Ebenezer Pierce, Joseph Stephens, Esq., 

Rev. Sam'l Kingsbury, Chas. Pomeroy, Esq., Benj. R. Felton, Esq., 

Rev. li. M. Bridge, Oilman Brown, Albert Witherell, 

James L. Stockwell, William H. Gale, Joseph Clark. 

Twelve persons for three years. 

Capt. Ebenezer Barber, James Goldsbury, Esq., 

Dr. George Wright, Wm. E. Russell, Esq. 

Four persons for four years. 

Clark Stearns, Esq., Martin Harris, Appleton Gale, 

Justus Russell, Esq., Abijah Eddy, Esq., E. F. Mayo, Esq., 
Rev. John Goldsbury. 

Seven persons for five, years. 

Charles R. Gale, Eben G. Ball, Esq., Henry K. Atvvood. 

Three persons for six years. 

Col. B. G. Putnam, John Stearns, jun. , J. A. J. Moore, 
James S. Wheeler, Lem'l Wheelock, Esq., Jona. Blake, Esq. 
Dr. Amos Taylor, 

Seven persons for seven years. 

Rev. Roger C. Hatch, one for nine years. 
Dr. Gardner C. Hill, one for ten years. 
Rev. Preserved Smith, one for sixteen years. 
Dea. Hervey Barber, one for eighteen years. 

Making eighty-two persons that have served in that 
responsible office in fifty-four years. 

The number of persons that had served as town clerk 
prior to 1854 was sixteen. Since that time, Ira Draper 
has been town-clerk five years, Henry G. Mallard one 



APPENDIX. 



203 



year, Edward F. Mayo seven years, and A. S. Atherton 
five years, including the present. Ira Draper had served 
five years previous ; making nineteen persons in all that 
have served since the incorporation of the town. 

From the year 1802 to the present (1872), William Cobb, 
Esq., was chosen, and acted as town treasurer forty-seven 
years ; James Goldsbury, Esq., nine ; Rev. R. C. Hatch, 
one; Col. B. G. Putnam, four; Phillip Young, four ; and A. 
S. Atherton, Esq., five years ; making a sum total of six per- 
sons that have filled that office honorably to themselves, 
and satisfactorily to the town, during the last seventy 
years. 



The postmasters of our town since 1803 have been Wm. 
Cobb, Esq., Lemuel Scott, Quartus M. Morgan, Benjamin 
G. Putnam, and Abner Albee (our present incumbent), 
making only five persons that have held that necessary ap- 
pointment, for a term of almost seventy years, showing that 
location and capability have governed the people in nomi- 
nating their candidates, in preference to party politics. 



We have now to add to the fourteen physicians that 
resided here prior to 1854 the names of George Field, who 
lived and practised in this town two years ; G. C. Hill, 
who resided with us ten years, then removed to Keene, 
N. H. ; C. J. Barbour, who was with us from one to two 
years ; and Samuel P. French, who came here in 1869, and 
is with us at the present time, and is the only practising 
physician residing in town : making, with those that have 
been mentioned, eighteen different persons that have lived 
with us, and practised their profession, since the town was 
first settled. 



204 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Dr. Amos Taylor, who has been mentioned twice in 
this volume, deserves something more than a passing 
notice from us ; for he lived with us a half-century, and 
practised his profession in a discreet and acceptable 
manner for over forty years. He died April 28, 1865, aged 
eighty years. While he was with us, he was a careful and 
esteemed physician, an honored citizen, a true friend, a 
sincere Christian, and an honest man. And before closing 
this account of the late physicians of Warwick, we will quote 
an extract from the Rev. P. Smith's semi-centennial sermon 
where he speaks of Dr. Med ad Pomeroy, who was a con- 
temporary with the Rev. Mr. Hedge, a near neighbor and 
an intimate friend. " Dr. Pomeroy was a native of North- 
ampton, and a graduate of Yale College in 1759. He died 
October^ 1819, five years after my settlement, at the advanced 
age of eighty-three years. He gave me many interesting 
reminiscences of his beloved pastor, and of those early 
times, truly 'days of small things,' when both united their 
efforts to advance the best interests of the new town, both 
religious and material. Often, when he was attending 
patients whose means of comfort were small, Mr. Hedge 
would fill bis saddle-bags with such things as were timely 
and necessary. Dr. Pomeroy's sympathies were very tender 
for the afflicted ; and on funeral occasions he was expected 
to have a seat with the mourners, not unfrequently mingling 
with his tears words of Christian consolation. His kind 
feelings to all endeared to him a large circle of friends. 
He was also distinguished for a generous hospitality. Dr. 
Pomeroy used to repeat to his friends the following lines, 
as an expression of his hospitable heart : — 

" ' To my best my friends are free, 

Free with that, and free with me ; 
Free to pass the timely joke, 
And the tube sedately smoke ; 



APPENDIX. 



Free to act, and free to think, 
(No informers with me drini<) ; 

Free to stay a night or so, 
And, when uneasy, free to go.' " 



HYMN OF WELCOME. 

BY MISS M. A. REED. 

Friend and Pastor, thou who ever 

Helped to tune our lips to praise, 
We, with willing hearts and voices, 

Greet thee with glad welcome lays. 
Here thy church, our place of worshi^j ; 

Here the people of thy care : 
Welcome ! welcome ! faithful pastor ; 

Lead again our praise and prayer. 

Fifty years, with all their changes 

Deep inwrought on time's bright scroll, 
Here to-day, on memory's tablet, 

Gently backward seem to roll. 
Once again we seem to see thee, 

As by Christ-like faith sustained, 
In thy manhood's strength and vigor, 

To thy life's great work ordained. 

Girded with the Christian's armor, 

Thy great mission just begun. 
Through long years of patient labor, 

Still we see thee pressing on. 
Guiding erring feet from danger. 

Telling weary ones of rest. 
Leading onward, pointing upward, 

To the haven of the blest. 



2o6 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Fifty years ! where are the faces 

That were wont to greet us ? where ? 
Where the voices wont to mingle 

In our praise, and in our prayer ? 
They like autumn leaves are scattered : 

Some afar on life's broad sea, 
Some in foremost ranks of battle, 

Some at home, O God I with thee. 

Fifty years, dear Christian pastor, 

One by one swift circling round, 
Have thy life with bright-hued glories 

Of life's autumn richly crowned. 
Soon thy weary steps will linger 

Close beside our Fathers door : 
Then thou'lt hear a glorious welcome 

On that happy heavenly shore. 

Warwick, Oct. la, 1S64. 



RECORD OF MARRIAGES AND INTEXTIOXS OF 
MARRIAGE. 

FOUND IX THE DIARY OF JONA. BLAKE, JUN., OF WARWICK. 

Dec. 7, 1806. Joel Mayo and Abigail Reed, married in Meet- 
ing-house by Rev. Samuel Reed. 

Dr. Ebenezer Hall, married. 

C. Rich, married. 

Samuel Williams, married. 

Clark Stearns and Hannah Leonard, married. 

Jonas Leonard and Patty Davis, married. 

Mary Champney, married. 
9, 1809. Benjamin Conant, 4th, married. 
Mar. 18, 1 8 10. Lois Stevens, married. 
•Oct. 31, " Joseph Willson and Eunice Ball, married. 
-Nov. 22, " Mr. Daniel Cook and Widow Goodell, married. 



.May 


13, 

20, 

31, 


1807 


June 


4, 


a 


Dec. 


10, 


a 


Feb. 


II, 


1808, 


Mar. 


9, 


1809, 



APPENDIX. 



207 



Dec. II, 18 10. Mr. Samuel Mayo, married. 

Apr. 14, 181 1. Levi Smith and Lydia Cobb, married. 

Aug. 21, " Cummins Lesure and Polly Ball, married. 

Sept. 29, " Isaiah Bridge and Sukey Davis, married. 

Oct. 9, " Anna Stevens, married. 

Nov. 19, '' Mr. Levi Gage and Nancy Barnes, married. 
" 21, " William B. Stow and Lucy Moore, married in 

the meeting-house. 
" 26, " Jos. Williams, Jr., and Patty Williams, married. 

Jan. 21, 1S12. Asa Melendy and Sally Moore, married. 

Oct. 12, " Betsy Champney, married. 

Nov. 17, " Zebiah Williams, married. 

Jan. 2, 1814. Joseph Willson and Nancy Reed, married. 

Mar. 31, '• ' Stephen Johnson and Polly White, married. 

Apr. 10, " Arteraas Baker and Elizabeth Bird, married by 
Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
" 14, " Aaron Leland and Lucy Smith, married by Jona- 
than Blake, Jr. 

Nov. 10, " David Rich and Lucretia Mayo, married. 

Feb. I, 181 5. Elijah Wrisley and Polly Bancroft, married by 
Jonathan Blake, Jr. 

Mar. 6. " Caleb Hastings and Huldah Penniman, married. 
" 8, " Susannah Gould, married. 

May 30, " Willard Packard and Hannah Smith, married by 
Jonathan Blake, Jr. 

Apr. 17, 1 81 7. John Bowman, married. 

Sept. 29, " Jonathan Shepardson and Hannah Delvee, mar- 
ried. 
" 29, " Artemas Brown and Patience Bancroft, married. 

Dec. 4, " Lemuel Wheelock and Rhoda Chamberlain, 
married. 

July 8, 181S. Moses M. Reed and Hannah ^L Hazeltine. 
married. 
" 13. " Stephen Cobb and Laura Howard, married. 

Aug. 26, '• Joseph Goddard of Orange entered his inten- 
tions with Maria Moore. 
" 27, " George OHver, Esq., and Deborah White, 
married. 



2o8 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Nov. 25, 18 1 8. Elkanah Whipple, his intentions with Elizabeth 

Stearns. 
Dec. 3, " John Ball, Jr., his intentions with Harriet Moore, 
and was married in the meeting-house Jan. 3, 
1819. 
" 6, " Nathan Stevens of Barre, his intentions with 

Lois Stevens. 
'• 16, " Samuel Howe of Framingham, and Sally Hast- 
ings, married by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Feb. 2, 1819. Benjamin Perry, his intentions with Hannah 
Dean. 
'• 15, " George Jeseph and Mary West, married by 
Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Mar. 17, " David Barry, his intentions with Sarah Munroe. 
Apr. 7, " David Battles, his intentions with Eunice Pick- 
ering. 
'• 18, " Harvey Woods and Sally Pierce, married by 
Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
July 16, " Dean Lincoln, his intentions with Mrs. Eliza- 
beth Eager. 
Oct. 10, " Warren Atwood, his intentions with Eliza Stock- 
well. 
" 23, " Stephen Reed, his intentions with Jerusha 

Moore. 
" 30, " Samuel T. Delvee, his intentions with Betsy 
Ball. 
Nov. 3, " John Whitney, Jr., his intentions with Abigail 

Foster. 
Feb. 10, 1820. Lev'i Stimpson, his intentions with Eliza Proctor. 
Mar. I, " William Hastings, his intentions with Mary 
Dutton of Windham, Vt. 
" 2, " Eliphalet Kingman, his intentions with Mehetable 
Allen. 
4, " Hori Waistcoat, his intentions with Clarissa 
Fisher of Royalston. 
Apr. 7, " Stephen J. Kendal, his intentions with Ruth B. 
Fisher of Royalston. 
15, " George Fisher, his intentions with Ruth Wood- 
ward of Petersham. 



APPENDIX. 209 

May I, 1820. Henry Whipple, his intentions with Polly Smith. 
Sept. 9, " Jonas Hill, his intentions with Lucretia Moore. 
" 21, " Daniel Smith, his intentions with Melinda Taft 
of Richmond, N.H. 
Oct. I, " Samuel Blake and Betsy Fay, married by Rev. 
Preserved Smith. 
David Ball entered his intentions of marriage 

with Elizabeth Rice. 
Amory Mayo entered his intentions of marriage 

with Sophronia Cobb. 
Isaac Metcalf of Royalston entered his inten- 
tions of marriage with Mrs. Anna M. Rich. 
Reuben Harrington of Orange, his intentions 

of marriage with Abigail Abbot. 
Jonathan Blake, Jr., and Mrs. Betsy Ballard, 

married at Greenfield. 
Ezekiel Ellis, his intentions with Tamazine 

Whitmore. 
Dean Penniman, his intentions with Hannah 

Hastings. 
Chapin Holden, his intentions with Lucy Jackson ; 
and they were married Feb. 5, 1822, by Jona- 
than Blake, Jr. 
Abraham P. Sherman, intentions with Polly Fay. 
Thomas Chase, Jr., intentions with Rebecca 

Chase. 
Joshua T. Sanger, intentions with Martha H. 

Leonard. 
Joseph Williams, Jr., intentions with Hannah J. 

Mann. 
Moseley Clapp, intentions with Emelia Burnett. 
James Ball, Jr., intentions with Clarissa Ball. 
Feb. 5, 1823. Jonathan Jackson, intentions with Mrs. Lucy 
Wheeler. 
" 27, " Cushing Lincoln and Mrs. Mara Gale, married 
by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Mar. 9, " William Proctor, intentions with Anna Fay. 
" 29, " Daniel Johnson, intentions with Almira Porter. 



Jan. 13, 


1821. 


" 23, 


a 


Feb. 4, 


a 


- 10, 


« 


Aug. I, 


if 


Sept. 3, 


a 


Nov. 17, 


i( 


Jan. 19, 


1822. 


Apr. 4, 


a 


May 18, 


n 


June 25, 


" 


July 25, 


a 


Sept. 7, 


a 


Nov. 30, 


a 



2IO HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Apr. i6, 1823. Seth Stratton, intentions with Freedom A. 

Holton. 

'• 21, " Adams Batclielder, intentions with Clarissa 

Hastings. 

May 10, " Daniel Pratt, intentions with Bathsheba Delvee. 

Sept. 18, " Rev. P. Smith, intentions with Tryphena W. 

Goldsbury. 
Oct. I5 " Amory Pierce, intentions with Sophronia Barnes. 
• " 3, " Samuel Abbot, intentions with Abigail Jones of 
Templeton. 
" 12, " Anson Lyman, intentions with Katharine R. 

Murdock. 
'• 31, " George Bacheller, intentions with Nancy Pom- 
eroy Pond. 
Jan. 16, 1824. Willard Barnes, intentions with Delight Rice 

of New Salem. 
Feb. 28, " Humphrey Wheelock, intentions with Sophia 

Lesure. 
Mar. 6, " Sylvanus Ward, intentions with Anna Draper., 
" 21, " John Holman of Royalston, intentions with 
Eliza Estey. 
Apr. II, " Elias Knolton, intentions with Mrs. Polly Cook. 
May 29, " Elisha Rich, intentions with Caroline G. Parker 

of Winchester, N.H. 
June 4, " Samuel Hammond entered his intentions with 
Mary R. Thayer. 
" Joel Leonard and Abigail Delvee, married. 
'• Silas Lewis, intentions with Sabrina Conant ; 
and they were married Jan. 9, 1825, by Jona- 
than Blake, Jr. 
" Ebenuzer Bird, Jr., intentions with Sarah 

Knolton. 
" Alexander Blake, intentions with Polly Ward 
and they were married Nov. iS, 1824, by 
Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
" 5, " Henry Willard and Mrs. Sally Wood, married 
by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Dec. 6, " Joseph W. Chase of Royalston, intentions with 
Melinda Gale. 



" 


21, 


Sept. 


13, 


Oct, 


3, 


n 


3, 



Jan. 


21, 


Feb. 


3, 


a 


24, 


Mar. 


4, 



APPENDIX. 211 

Dec. 31, 1824. Jonas Conant, intentions with Anna Barker of 
Brattleboro', Vt. 
1825. Asa Robbins, Jr., and Loving Collar, both of 
Northfield, married by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
" James Pierce and Cyntha Bacheller of Warwick, 

married by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
" Eliphaz Gould, intentions with Betsey Simonds. 
" Daniel Woodbury of Royalston, intentions with 
Persis Chase. 
7, " Jonathan Shepardson of Royalston, intentions 

with Nancy Jeseph. 
12, " Capt. Josiah Proctor, intentions with Polly 
Thompson of Royalston. 
Reuel Collar and Hannah Chapin, both of North- 
field, married by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Aniory Gale, Jr., intentions with Patty Leland. 
Lorenzo Lord of Orange, intentions with Olive 

Moore. 
Gardner Conant, intentions with Livonia Hodge. 
Mr. Joseph Goodell (aged 90 years) and Mrs. 

Sarah Woodcock of Royalston, married. 
David Clark, intentions with Hannah Fisher. 
David Burnet, intentions with Marcia Grout of 
'"itit+mTOtid, N.H. 
Nov. 20, " John Smith and Lois Jeseph, married by Jona- 
than Blake, Jr. 
" 27, " Elder John Shepardson, intentions with Abigail 
Lawrence of New Salem. 
Dec. 2, " Jonathan Gardner, intentions with Abigail Cole. 
" 9, " William F>ye of Bolton, intentions with Fanny 

Fuller. 
" II, " Andrew Russell, intentions with Melinda Fay. 
Jan. 13, 1826. Edward Mayo entered his intention of marriage 
with Eunice Ball. 
" 21, " Aaron Bass entered his intention of marriage • 
with Mrs. Betsey Rice. 
Feb. 2, " Isaac Hastings, Jr., entered his intention of mar- 
riage with Prudence Hallory of Winchester, 
N.H. 



Apr. 


20, 


Sept. 


2, 


(( 


29, 


u 


29, 


Oct. 


18, 


a 


23, 


a 


29, 



212 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Mar. 20, 1826. Wheaton Kelton of Winchester, N.H., with 

Mary Ann Bishop of Warwick. 
July 20, " Jacolj Collar of Northfield, with Betsey Smith 

of Warwick. 
Aug. 23, " Elisha Brown, Jr., with Almira Cole. 

" 29, " Henry Sawyer of Lancaster, with Catharine B. 
Burnett of Warwick. 
Sept. 2, " Ichabod D. Battle of Orange, with Miranda 
Moore of Warwick. 
" 9, " Joseph Williams, with Mrs. Lucy Pratt. 
Oct. 13, " Dennis Fay, with Adaline H. Flagg of Holden. 
Nov. 19, " Samuel T. Delvee, with Rebecca Stockwell. 
Dec. 2, " James Goldsbury, with Miranda Sweetser of 
Athol. 
" 9, " Charles Barber of Northfield, with Mary E. 
Williams of Warwick. 
Mar. 24, 1827. John C. Washburn, with Aroe Clark, both of 
Warwick ; and they were married April 19, by 
Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
May 5, " Seth Woodard, Jr., with Lucy or Arethusa Hol- 
man of Orange ; and they were married June 
10, by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
July 16, " Melzar Williams, with Scybinda Wheelock. 
Sept. 14, " Samuel Gilson of Erving's Grant, with Achsah 

Burnett of Warwick. 
Oct. 4, " Amory Bartlett of Chesterfield, N.H., with 
Meriam Conant. 
" 28, " Jasper Leiand, with Hxrriet Ann Bass. 
Dec. 8, " Rev. Nahum Gould of Macdonnough, N.Y., 
with Rebecca B. Leonard ; married Jan. 29, 
1828. 
" 14, " John Adams Green, with Lucy Delvee ; and were 
married Jan. i, 1828, by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
1828. John Goodell Watts, with Mary Foster. 
" Elijah Fisk, with Experience Wheelock. 
" Clement Smith Johnson of New Salem, with 

Hannah Hazeltine Gale of Warwick. 
" Alpheus Eastman of Hollis, N.H., with Sally 
Williams of Warwick. 



Jan. 


17, 


a 


17, 


Apr. 


12, 


May 


3) 



Aug. 


4, 
23, 




Sept. 
Oct. 


5. 
26, 




Apr. 


18, 


1830. 



APPENDIX. 213 

July I, 1828. David Rich, with Mrs. Elizabeth Chesebrough ; 
and was married Aug. 3, by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
William E. Russell, with Mary Ann Pomroy. 
DaviiL_Biu:»e4t~#4itered his intentions with Lydia 

Fulton of New Salem. 
Asa Taft, with Nancy Burnap of Nelson, N.H. 
Joseph Ball, with Jerusha Hale, both of Warwick. 
Daniel Evans and Mehetable Cook, married by 
Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Dec. 12, 1 83 1. Benjamin Merriam and Mrs. Polly Carter, mar- 
ried by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Jan. II, 1832. A lexander. Burn ett and Eliza Burnett, married 

by Jonathan BTSke, Jr. 
May 23, " George W. Moore and Sarah P. Leonard, mar- 
ried by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
" 27, " Ichabod Whipple and Fanny Simonds, married 

by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
" 29, " Noah Adams of Winchester, N.H., and Eunice 
Stearns, married by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Nov. I, " Hervey Barber and Hannah Leland, married. 
Jan. 8, 1833. Alvah C. Page and Mary Ann Blake, married. 
June 2, " Artemas Murdock, Jr., and Mary Simonds, mar- 
ried by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Sept. 20, 1835. Samuel Nute and Sarah Ann Delvee, married 

by Jonathan Blake, Jr. 
Nov. 3, " Asa H. Conant and Semira Fuller, married. 
Dec. 21, 1836. Benjamin F. Dean and Mary Ann Russell, 
married. 
" 22, " Keith White and Mary H. Goodell, married. 
Nov. 28, 1839. James H. Clapp and Leonora Blake, married by 
Rev. Preserved Smith. 
" 28, " Artemas B. Fuller and Ophelia Packard, mar- 
ried by Rev. Roger C. Hatch. 
Dec. 2, " Samuel Fay, Jr., and Sarah Taylor. 
May 17, 1840. Frederic Clapp and Martha M. Blake, married 

by Rev. Preserved Smith. 
Nov. 29, " Ibri Baker and Eliza Barber, married. 
Jan. 5, 1841. Mr. ■ Furbush and Sarah Fisher, married. 



214 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



July 



6, 1841. Mark Foster and Sarah Nash, married. 

Stillman Barber and Mary Fisher, married. 
Dea. Hervey Barber and Ann M. Child, married. 
Joseph W. Green and Mary Ann Ball, married. 
James E. Blake and Relief Smith, married by 

Rev. Preserved Smith. 
Alfred Nutter and Charlotte Mayo, married. 
Lewis A. Drury and Sarah C. Gilbert, married 

by Jonathan Blake. 
4, 1844. Benjamin F. Fuller and Mary Green, married. 



Jan. 6, 


184 


Apr. 20, 


u 


May 31, 


u 


Oct. 3. 


" 


Nov. 15, 


ii 


Nov. 7, 


1842 


Feb. I, 


IS43 



RECORD OF DEATHS IN WARWICK. 



COPIED FROM JONA. BLAKE's DIARY. 



1807. 


Dec. 12, 


Feb. 13, Frederick Barnes. 


1809. 


" 23, Mr. Peter Delvee. 


Feb. I, 


May II, Mary Ann Blake. 


" 20, 


June 12, Martin Maynard. 


Mar. 10, 


July 8, Mr. J. Weeks, accident. 


" 13, 


Aug. ID, Mrs. Davis. 


May 2, 


Oct. 6, Dr. Ellis. 


Sept. 14, 


Nov. 8, Harriet Mayo. 


Nov. 2, 


" 28, David Bancroft. 


1810. 


1808. 


Mar. 6, 


Jan. 6, Lucy Haven. 


" 12, 


" 13, John Goodell. 


Apl. 17, 


" 19, Josiah Rawson. 


" 25, 


" 24, E. Rawson's child. 


May 2, 


" 30, Capt. Jonathan Gale. 


" 6, 


April 2, Old Mrs. Mallard. 


" 21, 


June 22, Samuel Lesure's daugh- 


Oct. 2, 


ter. 


Nov. 20, 


Sept. 4, Mrs. Ager's child. 


" 27, 


Oct. 21, Thomas Tuel. 




Nov.- 26, John W. Mayo. 


Dec. 6, 


Dec. I, Mrs. Daniel Cook. 


" 30, 



, Mrs. Samuel Mayo. 

, Semira Cobb. 
, Lydia Streeter. 
, Mr. Isaiah Fuller. 
, Perez Allen's child. 
, Jno. Moore, Jr.'s, wife. 
,.Ebenezer Pierce's wife. 
, Mr. Thomas Gould. 

Jno. Moore, Jr.'s, son. 
, Joseph Severy. 
Rich. Waistcoat's child. 
Seneca Whitney. 

Mr. Thornton. 

Mr. Abijah Fisher. 
Mr. Jacob White. 
Lewis Atvvood. 
James Ball's son. 
Captain Elisha Hunt of 

Northfield. 
Mr. Griffith, State paup. 
Joel Jennings's child. 



APPENDIX. 



215 



1811. 
Feb. 4, 
" 24, 

" fl: 

A pi. 29, 
June 16, 

" 27, 
July 14, 
Aug. 17, 

" 29, 
Sept. 21, 

" 29, 
Nov. 4, 

" 28, 



Dec. 14, 

" 17. 
1812. 

Jan. 7, 

Feb. 5, 

" 6, 

" 6, 

Mar. 7, 

" 12, 

" 3T, 

April 9, 

" 17. 
May 16, 
June 4, 

" 6, 

" 13. 
" 22, 

July 31. 

Nov. 3, 
" 20, 
1813. 
Jan. 4, 



Mr. Daniel Cook. 

Fanny Ball. 

W m. Burnet, -^d._ 

'1 homas Bancroft's wife. 

Mr. James Stockwell. 

Reuben Gale. 

Mrs. Eaton. 

Richard Waistcoat. 

Mr. William Cobb. 

Severence. 

Mrs. Johnson. 

Azariah Barber's wife. 

Jonathan Goddard of 
Orange, by hanging him- 
self on an apple-tree. 

Nancy Moore, at Brook- 
line. 

Capt. Charles Rich. 

Fanny Bancroft. 
Mrs. Jonas Clark. 
Old Mr. Weeks. 

Mrs. Stone. 

Old Mrs. Bass. 

Mrs. Martha Conant, aged 

59 yrs. 8 mos. 
Mr. Enoch Kilton, aged 

86 years. 
Mrs. Nathan Kilton. 
Joseph Willson's wife. 
Polly Fay. 

Eph. Robbins, Jr.'s, wife. 
Med. Pomeroy, Jr.'s, son. 
Eunice Leonard. 
Polly Bowman. 
Rev. Samuel Reed. 
Patience Barber. 
Jos. Williams, Jr.'s, wife. 

Mr. Hen. Field of North- 
field. 



Jan. 17, 
Mar. 6, 

" 31. 
May 4, 
June 3, 

July 19, 

" 30, 

Aug. 26, 

1814. 
Feb. 16, 

" 17. 

" 19, 
Mar. II, 
June 5, 

" 8, 

" 24, 
Oct. 23, 
Nov. 4, 

" 27, 

Dec. 15, 
" 29, 
1815. 
Jan. II, 

Feb. 3, 

" 4, 



Betsey Whitney. 
Samuel Moore's child. 
Levi Maynard's wife. 
Sibil Leonard. 
Mrs. H. G. Stevens. 
David Ball's son. 
Francis Leonard's second 

daughter. 
Ebenr. Bancroft's wife. 

Mr. Samuel Eveleth. 
Mrs. Rawson. 
Abner Goodell's son. 
Joshua Atwood's wife. 
Wm. Lewis's dau. 
Mr. Ebenezer Bancroft. 
Old Mrs. Proctor. 
Mr. Minard, glassblower. 
L. N. Wood's son. 
Daniel Peck of Royals- 
ton, 74 yrs. 
Olive Cook. 
Elona Daniels. 



Dea. Benjamin Conant, 
Eunice Leonard, 6 mos. 
Old Mrs. Stearns. 
" 12, Mr. Jesse Warrick. 
Apl. 16, Mrs. Taylor, wife of Wal- 
ter. 
1816. 
Nov. 13, 

" 17, 

** 27 
Dec. 20, 

1817. 
Jan. 10, 
Feb. 7, 

" 15. 

Mar. 5, 

" 22, 



Francis Leonard, 6 mos. 
Job Maycumber. 
Old Mrs. Jennings. 
Melinda Daniels, 24 yrs. 

Mrs. Cobb. 
Phillip Atwood's wife. 
Ephraim Tuel. 
Mr. Jacob Rich. 
Josiah Proctor's infant 
child. 



2l6 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Mar. 


23> 


Daniel Collar's child. 


i( 


25. 


Mr. Robert Eaton, 83 yrs. 


Apri 


3. 


Joseph Barber's wife. 


June 


18, 


Mr. Jesse Gale. 


It 


18, 


Mr. Jno. Shepardson. 


Aug. 


19, 


Rev. P. Smith's daughter, 
born and died. 


Sept. 


13. 


Mercy Conant. 


" 


18, 


Dr. Lemuel Barnard, 81 
yrs. 


Dea 


-8. 


Henry Burnet. 


"Til's. 




Jan. 


12, 


Benj. Hastings, suicide, t- 


Feb. 


3 


Moses Leonard, 81 yrs. 
6 days. 


« 


17. 


Mrs. Litchfield. 


May 


5, 


Samuel Barnes's wife. 


Sept. 


25. 


Lucy Leonard, 27 yrs. 


Dec. 


i7> 


Ezelciel Cook, 39 yrs. 


" 


21, 


Mrs. Hurd. 


1S19. 




Jan. 


13. 


Joseph Steven's wife, 22 
years. 


Apr. 


12, 


David Ball's wife. 


« 


18, 


Nancy Bangs. 


May 


31. 


Melinda Knolton. 


June 


12, 


Old Mr. Fay, 79 years. 


July 


31. 


Amos Fisher, drowned. 


Aug. 


4. 


Stephen Cobb. 


" 


28, 


Olive Howard. 


Sept. 


7, 


Mr. Moses Fisher. 


Oct. 


21, 


Mrs. Patty Blake, 33 yrs. 


^ « 


28, 


Dr. Medad Pomeroy, 83 
years. 


Nov. 


27, 


Benj. Simond's wife. 


Dec. 


21, 


Mr. Samuel Bowman, 70 
years. 


182c 


. 




Jan. 


3, 


Roxana Allen. 


" 


17, 


Mr, N. Cook, 71 years. 


" 


19, 


Mrs. Jackson. 


Feb. 


14. 


Harriet Draper. 



Feb. 19, Old Mr. Bachelder. 
Mar. 21, Benj. Lincoln Bangs. 

" 30, Mr. Jacob Packard. 
Apr. 6, Widow Clarissa Gale. 
Sept. I, Mrs. Fiona Conant. 
Oct. 6, Asa Thayer's wife. 
" 23, Elijah Fisk's wife. 
1821. 
Jan. 24, J. Williams, Jr.'s, wife. 
May I, Mary Whitney. 

" 3, Mr. Daniel Whitney. 
June 5, Capt. Asa Thayer. 
'Aug. 17, Mr. Josiah Pomeroy, 80 

years. 
Sept. 5, Old Mrs. Goldsbury. 

1822. 
Jan. I, Mr. Zacheriah Barber. 
" 5, Widow Lydia Fisher, 38 

.years. 
" 5, Mr. David Perry. 
Mar. 2, Daniel M. Johnson. 
June 16, Mrs. Bebe Smith. 
Dec. 17, Wid. Anna Leonard, 77 
years. 
1823. 

Jan. I, Old Mrs. Wheelock. 
Mar. 17, Wm. Tripp, killed by a 
tree. 

" 21, Sarah Cobb. 
Apr. 6, Mrs. Hannah Bishop. 
June 20, Mrs. Mason. 

" 28, Mr. Joshua Atwood. 
July 20, Mrs. Sally Proctor. 

" 23, Mrs. Sally Conant. 
Aug. 4, Mr. Ebenezer Stearns. 

" 13, Old Mrs. Perry. 
Sept. 2, Maria Mayo. 
Dec. 18, Joseph Metcalf, Esq. 

1824. 
Mar. 2, Mrs. Bowman. 
May 29, Old Mrs. Delvee. 
July 31, Harriet Leonard. 



APPENDIX. 



217 



7 



Sept. 6, 
" 20, 

Oct. 31, 

Nov. 6, 
" 12, 
1825. 

Feb. 14, 
" 19. 

" 19, 

" 20, 
iSIar. 2, 

May 23, 
June 5, 

" 5. 
July 19, 

" 21, 
Sept. 12, 
Dec. 21, 

" 27, 
1826. 
Jan. 12, 
Feb. 3, 

Mar. 19, 
Apr. 15, 
May 15, 

Aug. 2, 
" 21, 
" 25, 

Sept. 9, 
" 29, 

,Oct. 12, 
1827. 

Mar. 13, 

May 13, 



Mr. Richard Cobb. 
Widow Sarah Whitney. 
Mr. Daniel Wiswell. 
Lois Whitney. 
James B. Leonard. 

]\Irs Sibil Smith. 

Mr. Wm. Simonds, 6 

years. 
Gen. Arad Hunt of 

Vernon. 
Old Mrs. Goodell. 
Mr. Lemuel tiastings of 

Greenfield. 
Mr. Samuel INLiyo. 
Mr. Daniel Bancroft. 
Mrs. Esther Russell. 
Mrs. Gardner. 
John Bunyan Fenniman. 
Capt. John Pratt. 
Mrs. Polly, wife of Sani'l 

Williams. 
Mr. Samuel Lesure. 

Mr. Abel Eddy. 

Samuel Reed, at Green- 
field. 

Mrs. Betsy Delvee. 

Jas. Ball's wife, suicide. 

Samuel Barnes, at New 
Salem. 

Wilder Stevens, 79 yrs. 

Capt. Lesure's wife. 

Joel Mayo's wife, 41 yrs. 

Henry Leland, 76 yrs. 

John Batcheller, 80 yrs. 

Dr. Benjamin Hazeltine. 

David Burnett's wife. 
Betsey — make, wife of 
Samuel. 



May 15, 
" 21, 

July 8, 
Au2C. 6, 



Oct. 15, 
Dec. 6, 

1828. 
Jan. 5, 

" 5. 
Feb. 12, 

23' 

Oct. 30, 
Nov. 5, 
Dec. 17, 

1829. 
Mar. 17, 
" 20, 



May 10, 
July 6, 
Dec. 10, 

1830. 
Jan. 4, 

" S, 
" 18, 

May 20, 

July 3. 

Oct. 16, 
Nov. 13, 
Dec. 17, 
1831. 
Feb. 21, 
Mar. 8, 



Sally Hastings. 

Betsey H. Ball, dau. of 

Stephen. 
Lyman Knolton. 
Lieut. Ebenr. Steam's 

child. 
Fanny Cook. 
James Stockwell. 

Mr. Jonathan Moore. 
Mrs. David Rich. 
Deacon Eben'r Pierce. 
Mrs. Lucy Fay. 
Widow Jones. 
John Whitney, Jr.'s, child. 
Old Mrs. Bangs. 

Jos. Goodell, about 94 yrs. 
Harriet, dau. of A. K. 

Whitney. 
Mrs. Burnet t, wife of 

Andrew. 
Mary Fuller. 
Asa Atwood's wife. 
Mason, son of Joseph 

Leonard, Jr. 

Joel Pierce, two infant 
children. 

Mrs. Tryphena Diitton. 

Mrs. Lydia Pierce. 

Levi Stearns (town pau.) 

Mrs. Allen, wife of Cal- 
vin Allen. 

Henry Fuller. 

Mrs. Francis Leonard. 

Hannah Whitney, 26 yrs. 

George ^Lason. 
Capt. Eleazer Wheelock, 
Si yrs. 



/ 



2l8 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Mar 

Apr. 
May 
July 
Aug. 



Sept. 2, 
" 8, 
" 14, 
" 25, 

" 27, 

Oct. g, 



183: 
Feb. 



Mar. 



29, Mr. Reuben Wheaton, 
28, Jane Kendrick (pauper). 
II, Hannah Fuller. 

25, Eunice Morse. 
I, William, son of Charles 
C. Cobb. 

5, Serepta Wyman. 

6, David Rich's child, i yr. 
ID, Abel Sanger, 38 yrs. 

13, John Whitney, Jr.'s, 

youngest child. 
15, Mrs. Sarah Blake, 80 yrs. 

8 mos. 
19, John Whitney, Jr.'s, dau. 
19, Nancy Bowman, 42 yrs. 
19, John Bowman's child. 
21, Mehetable Kelton, wife 

of Thomas, 84 yrs. 7 

mos. 
23, Hannah Holden. 

30, Mr. John Bowman. 

30, A child of Mr. John Bow- 
man. 
Wid. Mary Fuller, 80 yrs. 
Rebecca Perry, 3 yrs. 
Clark Ware, 24 yrs. 
Mr. Isaac Hastings. 
Mrs. Whitney, "wife of I 
John, Jr. 
9, Mrs. Rebecca Packard j 
(pauper). 
25, Charles E., son of Alex- 
ander Blake, 23 mos. 

II, Elisha M. Davis's child. 
21, Mr. Asa Conant, 82 yrs. 

5, Ebenr. Barber's child. 

5, Justus Russell, Jr., 31 yrs. 
18, Mr. Samuel Abbott, 39 

yrs. 
23, Mr. Shelding's child. 



Mar. 


27. 


Apr. 


i3> 


" 


30. 


May 


14. 


June 


6, 


" 


21, 


July 


29, 


Aug. 


31- 


Sept. 


6, 


Oct. 


30. 


183: 


■ 


Mar. 


7> 


Apr. 


4, 


July 


5. 


" 


18, 



V 



** 22 

Aug. 14, 

Nov. 4, 

" 20, 

Dec. II, 

1834. 
Jan. 25, 

May 30, 

June II, 

Aug. 7, 

" I5> 

" 21, 

1835. 
Jan. 7, 
Mar. 3, 



Capt. Mark Moore, 83 

yrs. 
Mr. Nathl. G. Stevens, 

80 yrs. 
John C. Miller (pauper). 
Mr. Amaziah Kelton. 
Ebenr. Barber's wife, 
Old Mrs. Surnett 
Josiah Proctor, Jr. 
Col. Abner Goodell, 50 

yrs. 
David Burnett's child. 
Old Mrs. Pomroy, 86 yrs. 

Mr. Thomas Hurd, 74 
yrs. 

Abijah Fisher, 76 yrs. 

Mrs. Fanny Whipple. 

Mr. Nathan Leonard, 70 
yrs. 

Old Mrs. Thankful 
White (pauper). 

Old Mrs. Robbins, 89 yrs. 

Old Mrs. Richards. 

Mrs. Mary Ann Page, 23 
yrs. 

John Pierce of Dorches- 
ter, 91 yrs. 

Old Mr. Samuel Moses's 

wife. 
Jona. Delvee, Jr.'s, child. 
Elvira Leonard. 
Joseph G. Whitney. 
Rev. Preserved Smith, 75 

yrs. 
Mary Atwood. 

Isaac Pierce, 71 yrs. 
Mrs. Jerusha Ball, wife of 
Joseph Ball, 



APPENDIX. 



219 



Mar. 


9, 


** 


24, 


Apr. 


29, 


July 


18, 


Aug. 


29, 


Dec. 


I, 



Mrs. Griffith (pauper). 

Mr. William Byxii^ 93 
yrs. 

Mr. Henry Fuller, 55 yrs. 

Mr.s. Tryphena Smith, 34 
yrs. 

Wid. Lois Fisher. 

Mrs. Betsey Bass, by sui- 
cide. 

Mrs. Nancy Willson. 



1836. 




1S40 


Mar. 4, 


John Ball, Jr., by suicide. 


Feb. 


" 23, 


Mr. Abijah Eddy, 60 yrs. 


Mar. 


Oct. 8, 


Mr. Jonathan Blake, 87 






yrs. 9 mos. 8 days. 


Aug. 


Dec. 24. 


Mary Ann Fisher (pau.) 




1837. 




Oct. 


Jan. I 


Harris Fuller, 27 yrs. 




" 27 


Patty Brown. 


Dec. 


Mar. 19 


Wid. Rebecca Moore, 88 
yrs. 


(( 


May 19, 


Mr. Jonas Leonard, 91 






yrs. 


1 84 1 


June 3, 


Henry H. Conant, 9 mos 


Jan. 


Oct. 20, 


Dea. Ebenezer Stearns, 


« 




60 yrs. 


Feb. 


1838. 




<( 


Apr. 8, 


Mrs. Betsey Ball, 56 yrs. 




May 20, 


Daniel Green's youngest 


Mar. 



Jan. 10, David Godard's wife. 
" 25, Rhoda Cook 

Feb. 13, Wid. Polly Drake, 47 yrs. 

I Sept. 8, Wid. Rich. 

" 26, Nancy Blake, 51 yrs, 6 
I mos. 20 days. 

Oct. 18, Capt. Joseph Ball, 50 
I yrs., fell from the bridge 

1 * at Miller's River when 

j raising it. 



I, Samuel Cobb, 57 yrs. 

23, Wid. Nathaniel Stearns, 
86 yrs. 

24, Mrs. H. Barber, wife of 
Dea. Hervey, 27^ yrs. 

4, Martha Proctor, at New 

Salem. 
4, Elizabeth Wellman, 38 
yrs. 
8, Samuel Manning's dau. 
Elizabeth, 3 yrs. 



child. 
'• 27, Samuel G. Robbins's ■ 

child. Apr. 

July 5, Mr. Stephen Ball, 63 yrs June 

" 7, Daniel Green's child. 
Aug. 17, Asa H. Conant's child. July 
Sept 4, Sally Mayo, 54 yrs. Aug. 

Oct. 13, David Gale, Jr.'s, son 

Amos. I Sept. 

" 20, David Gale, Jr.'s, young- : Oct. 

est child. 
1839. 
Jan. 2, Emily P. White. 



15, 
28, 
22, 
27. 

14, 

17, 
13' 
20, 

20, 
6, 

I, 
8 



Melissa Harvey, 12 yrs. 

Wid. Ager, 70 yrs. 

Joseph Williams, 78 yrs. 
Capt. Daniel H. Smith, 

65 yrs. 
James H. Horton's child, 

about 8 mos. 
Dea. Samuel Ball, 72 yrs. 
Mrs. John Ball. 
Mrs. Icibinda Williams, 

40 yrs. 8 mos. 
Mr. David Gale, 73 yrs. 
Capt. Cummings Lesure. 

55 yrs. 

, Severence, 18 yrs. 

, Mr. Jonas Houghton, 50 

yrs. 
Mrs. Mary Baker, wife of 

Isaac, 27 yrs. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Oct. 9, Miss Anna Whipple, 
dau. of Henry, 19 

■ years. 



Mrs. Sarah Severy, a 

town pauper, very aged. 
Col. Lemuel Wheelock, 

51 yrs. 
Mrs. Hannah Smith, wife 

of Jehiel. 
Israel Plsher, 83 yrs. 
Samuel T. Delvee's 

youngest child. 
Mr. Morgan's child. 
Gardner P. Mills's child. 
Gardner P. Mills's child. 
Mrs. Grout (wife of Har- 
ry). 

Dea. Francis Leonard, 65 

yrs. 
Mr. Elias Knowlton. 
Arlemas B. P'uller's wife, 

23 yrs. 
Franklin Gould, 4 yrs. 
Henry Hatch, 16 yrs. 
Elisha Severy, a town 

]:)auper. 
Fidelia Smith. 
Alfred Moore. 
Timothy Stevens's young- 
est child. 
Mr. Henry Hastings. 
Mr. William Hastings. 
Mr. Daniel Johnson, by 

suicide. 
Mr. Philip Atwood, 84 

yrs. 7 mos. 2 days. 
Miss Lucy Wheelock, 57 

yrs. 



184 


2. 


Feb. 


12, 


" 


26, 


IMay 


4, 


June 


21, 


Aug. 


29, 


" 


30. 


Sept. 


16, 


" 


24, 


Dec. 


21, 


1843. 


Jan. 


6, 


" 


-5; 


Feb. 


4, 


" 


s. 


" 


22, 


Mar. 


6, 


" 


6, 


" 


6, 


" 


20, 


June 


2 


" 


-5> 


" 


28, 


Aug. 


2, 


Nov. 


24, 


1844 




Jan. 


(^, 



Foster Bowman, 18 yrs. 



Jan. 17, Mr. Thomas Mallard, Jr., 

47 yi's- 
Feb. 3, Charles Hutchens, at 
Hawley, 15 yrs. 
" 19, Mrs. Smith. 
Mar. 24, Christopher Columbus 
Wheaton Merrifield. 
" 30, George King. 
Apr. 5, Wid. Sarah Moore. 

" 5, Infant child of 

Houghton. 
" 20, Calvin W. Delvee's dau. 
May 12, Mr. Abram Felton. 
June I, Timothy F.^ Phillips, 37 
yrs. 
" 9, Hannah D. I>eonard. 
Aug. 24, Mrs. Nancy Fay, 63 yrs. 
Sept. 30, Wid. Anna Reed, 88 yrs. 
Oct. 16, Joseph Delvee's wife. 
" 17, Joseph Delvee's infant 

child. 
" 21, Lorenzo Bancroft, 29 yrs. 
Dec. 6, Mr. Jonas Leonard, 60 
yrs. 
1845. 
Feb. 8, Azariah Barber, 65 yrs. 
" 16, David Howland Goodell, 
2 yrs. 5 mos. 12 days. 
Mar. 29, Mrs. Fisher (wid. of 

Israel), 78 yrs. 
May 12, Wid. Beulah Cook. 
" 23, Wid. Mary Kilburn. 
July 13, Elihu Gould. 
Sept. 9, Mrs. Susannah Cobb, 95 
yrs. 6 mos. 
" 28, George Chesebro's in- 
fant child. 
" 29, Mr. John Green. 
1846. 
Jan. 17, Austin Mallard, 25 yrs. 

■' 18, Harriet Thayer. 
May 6, Gilbert. 



APPENDIX. 



May 7, John Crown's wife, by Sept. 17, Thomas Blake, 66 yrs. 4 
suicide. ! nios. 



June 28, Sam.Blalce's wife, at Low- 
ell, 43 yvs. 5 mos.6 days. 
Sept. 8, Calvin W. Delvee's 
child, 2 yrs. 
" 9, Philander Pierce's child, 
16 mos. 



Oct. 4, Frederic B. Blake, i yr. 

8 mos. 
" 8, Henry D. Green (son of 

Joseph). 
" 22, John B. Blake, 20 yrs. 9 

mos. 28 days. 



DEATHS IN WARWICK, 

From Jan. i, 1847, to 1872. 

Taken from the Diary of Dea. Hervey Barber, as a continmtion of those 
taken from that of Hon. J. Blake. 



Miss Abigail Barber, 53 
Joseph Delvee, 45 
Bunyan Penniman, 76 
Thomas Mallard, 87 
Ashbill Ward, Esq., 72 
Mrs. Ephraim Rob- 
bins, 69 

Dau. of C. M. Proc- 
ter, 3 
Wid. Hammond, 77 
Obadiah Bass, 72 
Mrs. Mary Holton, 33 

, Mrs Lavina Conant, 44 

Wid. Esther Fuller, 66 
Dau. of Chas. Pom- 

roy, 7 mos. 

Endracas Wheeler,- 48 

Daniel Evans, 45 

Miss Esther Smith, 24 

, Son of Tim. Moore, 
10 mos. 
Miss Parmelia Moore, 21 
Mrs. ElizaDeth Taylor, 32 









Yrs. 


July 


30. 


1847 








Aug. 


2, 


Feb. 


5. 


Mrs. Martha Sanger, 


47 


" 


26, 


Mar. 


3. 


Stephen Reed. 


56 


Oct. 


I, 


Apr. 


22, 


Saml. F. Taylor, 


24 


Nov. 


22, 


June 


14, 


Medad Pomeroy, 


70 


Dec. 


29, 


July 


4. 


Ebenr. Rich, 


51 






" 


15- 


Parley Leland, 


75 


1849. 


Aug. 


23. 


Eldad Hodge, 


57 


Feb. 


21, 


" 


24, 


Sarah Stevens, 


17 






Sept. 


3' 


Wid. Hannah Hough 




" 


23. 






ton. 


50 


Mar. 


I, 


Oct. 


II 


Dea. James Blake, 


73 


" 


29, 


Nov. 


15 


Timothy H. Barber, 


6 


Apr. 


24, 


Dec. 


25 


Wid. Betsey Gould, 


51 


May 


9, 


1848. 






" 


9. 


Apr. 


I, 


Wid. Jerusha Golds- 












bury, 


74 




9, 


" 


17. 


David Goddard, 


41 


June 


27, 


" 


27. 


Enoch Robbins, 


83 


" 


28, 


" 


28, 


Mrs. Ann L. Ball, 


23 


Aug. 


26, 


May 


16, 


Wid. Hannah Whit- 












ney, 


67 


Sept 


21, 


June 


i9> 


Elijah Fisk, 


74 


" 


22, 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Dec. 


I5> 


Ephraim Roljbins, 


73, 


Jniy 


8, 


1850. 






" 


26, 


June 


23. 


Miss Ann Whitney, 


40 


" 


31. 


July 


27 


Mrs. Simonds Smith, 


34 


Aug. 


13. 


Aug. 


I 


Daniel Holman, 


68 


" 


22, 


" 


13. 


Wid. Jerusha Pomroy 


65 


Sept 


13, 


Sept 


19. 


Dau. of F. C. Tay- 




" 


29, 






lor, 2 mos. 




Nov. 


13, 


Oct. 


27. 


Wid. Nabby Wheaton 


76 


" 


23. 


Nov. 


6 


Joseph Stevens, Esq., 


59 


Dec. 


22, 


Dec. 


15, 


Jonathan Delvee, 


80 


'• 


25> 


185 


[. 






1853- 


Jan. 


16, 


Mrs. JonathanWhee- 
lock, 


71 


Jan. 


25. 


" 


24, 


Mrs. A. H. Whitney, 


70 


Mar. 


26, 


Apr. 


9> 


Wid. Polly Delvee, 


80 


Apr. 


3. 


" 


14. 


Mrs. L. F. Burrage, 


44 


May 


15. 


May 


12, 


Nahum Grout, 


83 






" 


13, 


Mrs. Elisha M. Davis 


41 


" 


23. 


June 


22, 


James Fuller, 


58 


June 


12, 


Aug. 


6, 


Miss Alma Gale, 


19 


" 


17, 


Sept 


2, 


Mrs. John Morgan, 


26 


" 


22, 


" 


22, 


Son of Henj. Davis, 


6 


Aug. 


21, 


Nov. 


I 


Laban Simonds, 


69 


Sept. 


4. 


" 


28, 


Son of John Whipple, 


14 


Nov. 


17, 


Dec. 


21, 


Dau. of Ansel Davis, 




1854. 






6 mos. 




Feb. 


27. 


185. 








Mar. 


3. 


Jan. 


12, 


Miss Sarah Leonard, 


39 


" 


ID, 


" 


13, 


Mrs. David Gale, jun. 


23 






" 


15, 


Mrs. Josiah Conant, 


88 


" 


29, 


" 


16, 


Phinehas Child, jun. 


48 


May 


15. 


Feb. 


21, 


Mrs Melzar Williams 


46 


"' 


29, 


Mar. 


4 


Martlia Delvee, 


8 


June 


26, 


" 


6, 


Son of Ansel Davis, 


3 


July 


24, 


May 


I, 


Jonathan Wheelock, 


72 






June 


6, 


Elkanah Whipple, 


75 


Aug. 


2, 


" 


9> 


Miss Betsey Delvee, 


22 


" 


5, 


" 


22, 


Mrs. Czarina Wheeler 


29 


" 


12, 


" 


26, 


Henry Barnard, Esq., 


83 


Oct. 


22, 


July 


6, 


James Holton, 


70 


" 


30. 



, Mrs. Lydia Smith, 63 

, Mrs. Maria Fisher, 26 

, Geo. F. Taylor, 9 

Miss Rhoda Cook, 83 

Mrs Susanna Child, 79 

, Miss Lucy Orcutt, 22 

Amory Gale, 76 

James Holmes, 71 

Mrs. Fanny Barber, 2>2) 

Mrs. Nathan Atwood, 58 

Jonathan Moore, 76 

Son of James Stock- 
well, 22 mos. 

Samuel Ball, 57 

Mrs. Bui ah Eddy, 69 
Mrs.' Robert Adani- 

son, 34 

Mason Davis, 9 

William Cobb, Esq. 83 
Miss Maria Williams, 20 

Elisha Brown, 81 

, Mrs. Asa H. Conant, 39 

, Mrs. Geo. Dudley, 22 

Miss Lydia Jones, 79 

Mrs Nathan C. Morse, 71 

Mrs. Clark Stearns, 33 

An infant son of N. 

E Stevens, 2 days. 

Amos H. Whitney, 79 

Elizabeth Adams, 12 

Ezekiel Nelson, 78 

, Mrs. Ivers Creed, 40 

, Anna S. Barber, 

22 mos. 

, Mrs. Ruth Owen, 22 

Mrs. S. C. Reed, 25 

S. Switzer Goldsbury, 20 

Dau. of Mr. Henry, i 

Eunice Stearns, 84 







APPE 


NDIX 




223 


Dec. 


10, 


Mrs. Daniel Whitte- 




Sept. 


18, 


Jonas Conant, 


81 






niore, 


75 


Oct. 


9> 


Miss Martha Moore, 


37 


« 


12, 


Son of Franklin 
Whitney, 8 weeks. 




Dec. 
185; 


7, 


Justus Russell, Esq., 


85 


" 


19. 


D.miel Whitieniore, 


84 


Jan. 


12, 


Mrs. Paul Jillson, 


64 


" 


-3> 


Asa Atwood, 


71 


" 


20, 


Stephen Johnson, 


79 


1855- 






Mar. 


25> 


Albert Lawrence, 


21 


Jan. 


9. 


Afrs. David Gale, 


84 


Apr. 


2, 


Seth Woodward, 


55 


" 


12, 


Joseph Draper, 


81 


June 


6, 


Mrs. Barnard Fisher, 


35 


" 


19, 


Josiah Conant, 


91 


" 


18, 


Miss Lucy Shejiard- 




" 


19 


Widow of Thos.iNIal- 








son, 


69 






lard, Jan., 


56 


Aug. 


9. 


Miss Luthera Whee- 




Mar. 


27, 


Widow uf Elkanah 








lock, 


60 






Whipple, 


7i 


Sept. 


I, 


Miss Ellen Bass, 


22 


Apr. 


I, 


Mrs. Asa Bancroft, 


68 


" 


7, 


Ephraim Morgan, 


93 


May 


4 


Dan. of Philander 
Pierce, 11 mos. 




Oct. 

185^ 


3' 


Mrs. Henry Barnard, 


83 


June 


23. 


Caleb Weeks, 


79 


Jan. 


29, 


Mrs. Elkanah Whip- 




" 


25, 


Caleb Hastings, 


66 






ple, 


67 


July 


4. 


Son of Alfred Brown 




Apr. 


2 


Mrs. Buvnham, 


54 






2 mos. 




May 


18, 


Wid. Stephen John- 




Aug. 


s, 


Miss Lucy Eddy, 


79 






son, 


75 


" 


31. 


Ichabod Whipple, 


58 


" 


31. 


Mrs. Wm. Lawrence, 


46 


Sept 


18, 


Rufus Knight, 


62 


June 


24, 


Mrs. Elijah Davis, 


78 


" 


25> 


A. Baker Fuller, 


40 


July 


14, 


Wid. Amariah Kelton 


,74 


Dec. 


6, 


Wid. Amory Gale, 


80 


Sept. 


29, 


Lemuel Scott, 


33 


Oct. 


13. 


Sarah Shepardson, 


16 


Oct. 


I, 


H. G. Mallard, Esq., 


29 


185 


3. 






" 


12, 


Edward Hastings, 


28 


Mar. 


14 


Mrs. S. W. Gillson, 


44 


" 


21, 


Wid. Perley Leland, 


85 


" 


18, 


Son of Richard Weeks 


, 10 


" 


22 


Benjamin Drake, 


44 


Apr. 


8, 


Miss Ann Ward, 


27 


Nov. 


20, 


Jehiel Smith, 


69 


" 


9, 


Mrs. Alexander Blake 


53 


Aug. 


29, 


Miss Anna Goss, 


74 


" 


28 


Dea. Sylvanus Ward, 


54 


185c 


. 






May 


5. 


Wid. Sylvanus Ward, 


54 


Jan. 


17. 


Laban Simonds, 


73 


June 


I, 


Son of S. T. Under- 
wood, I day. 




Feb. 


18, 


Mrs. Chas. William 
Cobb, 


21 


July 


15. 


Mrs. John Farnsworth 


26 


Mar. 


7, 


Fannie Phillips, 


17 


Aug. 


6, 


Miss Martha Chase, 


23 




16, 


Wid. Seth Wood- 




" 


30. 


Mrs. Hervey Par- 








ward, 


58 






tridge, 


68 


t( 


20, 


Mrs. Hosea Horton, 


70 


Sept. 


12, 


Wid. Daniel Smith, 


76 


May 


27, 


Ansel Davis, 


59 



224 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



June 


13. 


Miss Rhoda Hodge, 


59 


Feb. 


24> 


July 


16, 


Nathan Atvvood, 


70 


iMar 


12 


Aug. 


21, 


Miss Forbes, 


72 








25. 


Simeon Stearns, 


80 


,, 


29, 


Nov. 


30 


Mrs. Gushing Lin- 
cohi. 


84 


June 


20, 


i860. 






May 


9. 


Jan. 


16, 


Isaac Hastings, 


74 






" 


i7> 


Jona. Gardner Gale, 


18 


July 


26, 


May 


3i> 


Mrs. Ahnira Fry, 


42 


Aug. 


9- 


July 


20, 


Mrs. Elizabeth C. 




Sept. 


2, 






Bird, 


50 


" 


28, 


Aug. 


31. 


John Smith, 


72 


Oct. 


8, 


Oct. 


29, 


Paul Jillson, 


71 






Nov. 


3. 


Henry Harvey, 


60 


" 


23> 


Aug. 


28, 


Henry Gale, 


13 


Nov. 


18, 


186 


[. 






Dec. 


21, 


Jan. 


25. 


Wid. Stephen Reed, 


69 


1863. 


" 


27> 


Sarah Shepardson, 


16 


Feb 


2, 


" 


28, 


Jane Shepardson, 


10 


Apr. 


13. 


Feb. 


6, 


Mrs. Simon P. Shep- 




" 


25> 






ardson, 


41 


" 


26, 


" 


20, 


Nye Shepardson, 


13 


" 


27. 


Mar. 


5 


Miss Sophia Whitney, 83 


May 


4, 


'• 


30, 


Samuel T. Delvee, 


68 


" 


i5> 


July 


20, 


Henry C. Conant, 


23 


" 


22, 


Aug. 


I, 


Mrs. Josiah Conant, 


59 


" 


23. 


" 


11 


Ira Ager, 


53 


June 


28, 


" 


II, 


Elijah Davis, 


^7 


July 


7, 


" 


3i> 


Mrs. Q. M. Morgan, 


47 


" 


8, 


Oct. 


2 


Wid. James Stock- 




Aug. 


14. 






well, 


78 


" 


25. 


" 


21 


Dau. of Saml. Reed, 




Sept 


I, 






3 weeks. 




Oct. 


15. 


Nov. 


9. 


Gushing Lincoln, 


87 


" 


27, 


" 


24, 


Wid. John Bowman, 


63 


" 


27, 


Dec. 


26 


Jasper H. Lei and, 


27 


1864. 


<i 


3i> 


John Stearns, 


81 


Jan. 


'» 


186 


2. 






" 


29. 


Jan. 


8, 


Wid. Elisha Brown, 


88 


Feb. 


8, 


Feb. 


24 


Leander Jillson, 


18 


Mar. 


12, 



Willard Packard, 24 
and 17, Son and dau. 

of Wm. Ward. 
Hervey Partridge, 72 
Wid. ofDea. J. Proc- 
tor, 77 
Wid. Nathan Leo- 
nard, 88 
Stanley Gushing, 19 
Mrs. Joseph Wilson, 67 
Mrs. Philander Pierce, 43 
Francis Moore, 20 
Wid. Banyan Penni- 

man, 88 

Miss Maria Gonant, 43 

Peter Severance, 47 

Frank Pierce, 21 

Samuel Moore, 67 

Aaron Bass, 80 

James Ghapin, 20 

Wid. Field, 83 

Mrs. George Jones, 69 

Miss Fanny Gould, 69 
Mrs. Lafayette Nelson, 30 
Miss Hannah Burnett, 23 

David Gale, 68 

Jacob S. Rayner, jun., 18 

Abbie J. Reed, 6 

Warren Blake, 20 

Wid. Jonas Leonard, 76 

John Caldwell, 20 

Edmund Goller, 20 

Munro Patridge, 21 

Lafayette Nelson, 36 

Wid. Elias Knowlton, 86 

Hattie Phillips, 16 

Geo. W. Howard, 49 

Miss Lydia Ball, 82 

Wid. William Cobb, 91 



APPENDIX. 



225 



Apr. 


6, 


Jo.scpli P Atwood, 


23 


Nov. 23, 


AFay 


10, 


Ivers Creed, 


41 


1S67. 


June 


4, 


Wid. James Fuller, 


72 


June 2, 


" 


1 8, 


Seth A. Woodward, 


30 


July 7, 


J"iy 


13. 


Lucy Ann Brown, 


15 


Aug. 20, 


Aug. 


23. 


James D. Delvee, 


23 


" 23, 


Dec. 


19, 


A. Shepard Phillips, 


14 


" 24, 


" 


22 


Mrs. Thomas Chase, 


72 


Aug. 30, 


" 


25. 


Frederic Gale, 


10 


Sept. 19, 


May 




Joseph W. Sawyer, 


19 


1868. 


July 




James Henry Fuller, 


22 


Jan. 29, 


1865. 






" 30, 


Jan. 


27, 


Joseph W. Ellis, 


30 


Feb. 18, 


Feb. 


20, 


Eben. G. Ball, Esq., 


39 


Mar. 6, 


" 


28, 


Dayid Ball, 


S5 


Apr. 2, 


Mar. 


4, 


Miss Eliza Shepard, 


62 


June 4, 


" 


9, 


George Cooper, 


14 


" 6, 


Apr. 


7> 


Harriet Goldsbury, 


T7 


Aug. 15, 


" 


19. 


Wid. Caleb Weeks, 


84 


" 16, 


11 


28, 


Dr. Amos Taylor, 


80 




.May 


4, 


Wid. Jona. Moore, 


76 


Sept. 5, 


Aug. 


2, 


Mrs. Cah'ia D. Shep- 




" 12, 






ardson, 


41 


Nov. 4, 


" 


8, 


Sam. W. Goldsbury, 


66 


1869. 


Sept. 


. I, 


Ebenezer Goodwin, 


35 


Jan. 3, 


" 


25. 


Wid. Samuel Ball, 


90 


May I, 


Dec. 


12, 


Sam. G. Robbins, jun. 


,30 


" 4, 


" 


'^2 


Wid. Peter Sandin, 


82 


Aug. 7, 


" 


27, 


Luther .Smith, 


83 


" 10, 


1 866. 






Sept. 6, 


Feb. 


3> 


Charles Johnson, 


12 


Nov. 25, 


" 


II, 


Dau. of Steplicn John- 
son, 17 mos. 




Dec. 5, 
" II, 


Apr. 


9, 


Mr. Franklin Whitney, 46 


1870. 


May 


II. 


Mrs. Harriet Dill, 


36 


Mar. 13, 


(( 


12, 


Mrs. Esther Morton, 


90 


Apr. 6, 


Aug. 


5. 


Wid. Simeon .Stearns, 


79 


June 19, 


" 


II, 


Wid. Experience Fisk 


82 


July 10, 


" 


15, 


iNfrs. Nath. G. Stevens 


,77 


Aug. 16, 


Oct. 


4 


Mrs. Jona. Shepard 




" 19, 






son, 


70 


Oct. 5, 



.Me.xander Cooper, 43 

Jasper Lei and, 61 

Benjamin Conant, 92 

, Aaron Morse, . 84 

Liberty Patridge, 9i| 
William Ward, 68 

Dea. Joseph Wilson, 81 
Miss Tamar Pickering, 74 

Mrs. Henry Atwood, 40 

Isaac Hastings, 85 

Nath. G. Stevens, 80 

Miss Polly Gould, 77 

Willard Forbes, 57 

Nathan C. Morse, 89 

, Capt. Asaph Davis, 32 

, Mrs. Susie E. Davis, 26 

, Dau. of A. & S. E. 

Davis, ID days. 

, Henry H. Manning, 24 
Rev. Roger C. Hatch, 84 

Richard Weeks, 54 

Sam. Davis Wheaton, 53 
Horatio Holbrook, 63 

, Dea. Joel Pierce, 78 

Mrs. Susan D. Wilber, 37 
Widow Rhoda Barber, 82 

, Miss Fidelia Proctor, 22 
Isaac Whittcmore, 70 
Mrs. Artemas Hawes, 55 
Wid. Richard Weeks, 50 

Miss Polly Conant, 78 

Josiah Conant, 73 

Wid. Obadiah Bass, 84 

Miss Esther Stevens, 81 

Wid. Joseph Delvee, 64 

Dea. Danford Tyler, 57 

Thomas Chase, So 



226 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Oct. 1 8, Geo. Wm. Barber, 
" 30, Wicl. Sam. Delvee, 
Nov. 2, Mrs. John Grout, 
Dec. 5, Wid. Isaac Whitte- 



18; 
Jan. 

a 

Feb. 



Mar. 
Apr. 



15. 

22 

7. 
31. 



1 8, 



William L. Moore, 
Mrs. Otis Conant, 
Wid. Nancy Merry- 
field, 
James S. Wheeler, 
Jacob S. Rayner, 
Wid. Henry Harvey, 
Miss Esther Fuller, 
Wid. Rev. J. Shep- 

ardson, 
Joshua S. Sanger, 



24 


Apr. 


20, 


72 


May 


13. 


26 


June 


19. 




July 


10, 


76 


" 


14. 




Aug. 


I, 


68 


Sept. 


24, 


43 








Oct. 


4, 


78 


Nov. 


20, 


55 


18 


'2. 


58 


Feb 


I, 


70 




19, 


69 


Mar. 


26, 




Apr. 


15. 


88 


" 


17, 


73 


May 


15, 



Wid. Joel Pierce, 77 

Mrs. Tim. Moore, 55 

Miss Jane E. Bass, 31 

Russell Brown, 80 

Mrs Elisha Brown, 70 

Miss Jane Spencer, 65 
Mrs. E. S. Green- 

iQaf, 31 

David Atherton, 23 

Willis W. Johnson, 26 

Daniel Fierce, 50 

George Fisher, 48 

Amos O. Bridge, 57 

Mrs. Adeline Pond, 40 

J. Wilson Hastings, 22 

Harvey Conant, 61 



Whole number in 30 years, 504. Average age, 435-, nearly. Num- 
ber per annum, i6|. Number over 90 in 30 years, 10. Number over 
80 in 30 years, 49. Number over 70 in 30 years, 70. Number over 
the age allotted to man, 129 : a large number, truly, — partly owing to 
a healthy climate, and partly to the fact that many of our young people 
remove from town. 



Our town has been considered very healthy, as the loca- 
tion is away from any large bodies of water or swamps of 
any considerable size. Most of its territory is elevated to 
quite an extent ; the air is consequently pure and bracing ; 
diseases are few ; the people industrious, economical, in- 
telligent, and happy. 

As a reward for the above privileges and attainments, they 
are remarkably healthy, and live to an advanced age, enjoy- 
ing themselves, and retaining their faculties, both of body 
and mind. We have now living in town four persons over 
ninety years of age : three of them are natives of the town ; 
the other has been a resident over sixty years. 

There are fifteen between eighty and ninety, and twenty- 



APPENDIX. 



227 



sev^en between seventy and eighty, in a population of less 
than eight hundred inhabitants. Their names and ages may 
be found in the foUowinc: columns : — 



Total 



Names of Males. 






Ase. 


Phinehas Child (widower) 


95 


Samuel Williams (w.) 


91 


Ebenezer Barber (w.) 


81 


Edward Goddard (w.) . 


81 


Jonathan Shepardson (w. ) 


80 


Jesse Gould (single) 


80 


Henry Whipple (w.) 


79 


Gardner Conant (w.) 


78 


Rev. John Goldsbury 


77 


Harmon Williams . 


76 


James Goldsbury . 


. 75 


Ethan Gushing, 


73 


Warren Atwood 


11>\ 


Harry Grout . 


80 i 


Ezekiel Ellis . 


80 1 


Amory Gould 


• ^^ 


Melzar Williams . 


71 


Rev. Charles Farrar 


70 


Dea. Edward Mayo 


. 70 


Elisha Brown 


70 


Jarvis Davis . 


• 70 


Reuben G. Hammond . 


• 70 


Males 


22 


Females . 


. 24 


T'„i_l 


■.c 



Names of Fetnales. 



Sarah Leonard (widow 
Elizabeth Conant (w. ) 
Sally Morse (w.) . 
Hannah Stearns (w.) 
Rhoda Wheelock (vv.) 
Elizabeth Ball (w.) 
Mary Taylor (v/. ) . 
Martha Jennings (vv.) 
Mary Stevens (single) 
Augusta Gale (w.) 
Clarissa Gould 
Sally Holman (w.) 
Lydia Moore (w.) 
Melinda Reed (w.) 
Lydia Ball (w.) 
Tamerzon Ellis 
Mary Ellis (s.) 
Katharine Smith (w 
Lois Smith (w.) 
Nancy Fisher (s.) 
Tharnar Williams 
Lucy Atwood 
Polly Moore (w.) 
Clarissa Brown (w 



46 



Females 



Age. 
94 
91 

88 

85 
84 
86 

83 
82 
82 
82 
80 
79 
78 
76 

75 
73 
72 
72 
11 
71 
72 
70 
70 
74 

24 



Aggregate ages, 3,585 years. Average age, a fraction under 78 years. 
Twenty-two males and twenty-four females, including all those that 
have nearly completed their seventieth year, this twentieth day of 
April, 1872. 



228 



HISTORY OF WARAVICK. 



A LIST OF NAMES 

OF THE OWNERS OR OCCUPIERS OF HOUSES IN WARWICK IN I79S, 
AS RETURNED BY THE ASSESSORS. 

[Copied from the original in the Liljrary of the New-England His- 
toric-Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass.] 



Atwood, Joshua 

Ball, Jonas 

Ball, Samuel, sen. 

Ball, James 

Ball, Samuel, jun. 

Bancroft, William 

Bancroft, Ebenezer 

Barns, Abraham 

Barnes, Lyman 

Bass, Obadiah 

Barber, Joseph 

Barber, Zechariah 

Bangs, Isaiah 
•Blake, Jonathan 
V Burnett, Henry 
\J Burnett, William 

Chase, Thomas 

Champney, Humphrey A. 

Champney, Jonathan A. 

Cobb, William, jun. 

Cook, Daniel 

Conant, Asa 

Conant, Benjamin 

Conant, Benjamin, 2d 

Dana, Joseph 

Davis, Jonathan 

Delvie, Jonathan 

Dclvie, Peter 

Dike, William 

Eddy, Abel 

Estey, Jacob ~ 

Fisher, Israel 



Fisher, Abijah 
Fuller, Isaiah 
Goldsbury, John 
Goldsbury, James 
Goodale, Joseph 
Goodale, John 
Gale, John 
Gale, Jonathan 
Gould, Thomas, sen. 
Gould, Thomas, jun. 
Hastings, Nathan 
Hastings, Jonas 
Hazeltine, Benjamin 
Hemenway, Asa 
Holmes, Luther 
Jennings, Joel 
Kilton, James 
Kilton, Enoch 
Leonard, Moses 
Leonard, Jonas 
Leonard, Francis 
Moses, Samuel 
Miller, Samuel 
Miller, Gilbert 
Mayo, David 
Mayo, Caleb 
Moore, John 
Moore, Jonathan 
Moore, Mark 
Morse, Samuel 
Ormsbury, John 
Packard, Jacob 



APPENDIX. 



229 



Pennyman, Bunyan 
Pennyman, Peter 
;/Pomeroy, Josiah 
Pond, Joseph 
Pratt, John 
Proctor, Peter 
Rich, Jacob 
Rich, Caleb 
Reed, Samuel 
Ripley, Peter 
Robbins, Isaac 
Simonds, Benjamin 
Smith, Jonathan 
Smith, Josiah 
Smith, Abner 
Stearns, Nathaniel 
Stearns, Ebenezer 
Stevens, Wilder 
Stevens, Nathaniel G. 



Stockwell, James 
Stow, Thomas 
Thayer, Asa 
Town, Ephraim 
Trull, Benjamin 
Watts, Nicholas 
Warrick, Jesse 
Wescoat, Richard 
Wescoat, Richard, jun. 
Wheelock, Eleazer 
Whitney, John 
Whitney, Daniel 
White, Solomon 
White, Jacob 
Whiting, John 
Whiting, Lewis 
Williams, Triphena 
Williams, Nathaniel W. 
Willson, John, jun. 



WARWICK PUBLIC LIBRARY 

Contained, Jan. i, 1872, 610 volumes. The additions for the year were 
454 volumes. The Trustees purchased 73 volumes. Donations were 
received as follows : — 



Rev. Preserved Smith 
Mrs. Mary (Blake) Clap 
Wm. B. Trask, Esq. . 
School District No. 7 . 
Hon. Alvah Crocker . 
Town of Warwick 
Rev. Henry H. Barber 
Unitarian Association . 
Miss Dabney 
Mrs. E. S. Sibley 



12 

221 

66 

62 

7 

5 



454 vols. 



Whole number of volumes in the library, Jan. i, 1873, 1,064. 



INDEX. 



A. 

Aged people, lists of, ig8, 227. 

Ager, Solomon, an early settler at '• Flour Hill," 18. 

Agriculture, 149. 

Appendix, 183. 

Arlington, 15. 

Asliiielot River, 19. 

Athol, rs- 

B. 

Baptists, article in the warrant concerning, 47 ; society incorporated, 91, 165 ; church 
in town, and ministers, account of, 165-168; ministers of that denomination who 
originated from Warwick, 168. 

Barber, Deacon Hervey, one of the committee to have charge of the History of War- 
wick, 7; history of the town continued by him from 1834 to 1872, succeeding Hon. 
Jonathan Blake, 125 ; lectured on its history, Feb. 17, 1863, that day being the 
centennial anniversary of its incorporation, 130 ; his list of deaths in town, from 

1847 to '872, 231. 

Bark, hemlock, 152. 

Barley, 119. 

Bassett, Rev Edward Barnard, installed pastor of Second Congregational Church, 
164. 

Bears, stories of, 22, 135; den, 123, 148. 

Beech Hill, so named from its former large growth of beech timber, 17. 

Bell, church, first in town, 115; new one from Ames's foundry, Springfield, 115; taken 
from the rebels at New Orleans, and brought to Warwick, lines composed on oc- 
casion of it, 192: a present from Col. McKim, 130. 

Bennett, Samuel, 20, 21. 

Bills, Rev. E. G., pastor of the Baptist Church, 167. 

Black Brook, 20. 

Black-lead, 122. 

Blake, Jonathan, sen., 16, 159. 

Blake, Hon. Jonathan, jun., early history of Warwick, written by him in 1831 and 
• 832, 3, 9, 176; read before the Lyceum, 4,9; delegate to attend the convention 
to amend the Constitution of this Commonwealth, 104, 196; town clerk, select- 



232 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



man, overseer of the poor, assessor, representative to the General Court, senator, 
county commissioner, justice of the peace, forty-two years surveyor of land, 176; 
brief memoir of, 175, 176; poetry of, 177-182. 

Blake, Samuel, transcribed the history written by his brother, 5, 9 ; wrote a brief no- 
tice of him, 175, 176; first marriage of, 209. 

Blanchard, Rev. E. H , ordained pastor of Second Congregational Church, 163. 

Boot manufactory, men employed in, number of boots manufactured, amount of busi- 
ness in, 152. 

Boundaries of the town, 15, no. 

Bounty, to encourage settlers, 22; increased to twenty pounds in 1749, 23; to thirty 
pounds, old tenor, or the value thereof in silver, 1751, 23 ; to volunteers, 131, 136. 

Bowlder, of about a hundred tons weight, which can be rocked with a single hand, 149. 

Bridge, Rev. Henry M., installed pastor of the Second Congregational Church, 163. 

Brimstone, 121, 122. 

Brook, the, 18. 

Brushwoods, manufactured, 153. 

Burnham, Rev. E. M., pastor of the Baptist Church, 166. 

Burying-ground, laid out, 37 ; some bodies removed from thence to the present place 
of interment, 67 ; additions to the, 103 ; trees planted in, 1 10. 



C. 

Catamount killed, 22. 

Cattle-shows, 150. 

Cemetery, donations for the benefit of the, 140, 143. 

Centenarian, in ; death of one, 135. 

Centennial anniversary of the incorporation of the town, a lecture given at, by Deacon 

Hervey Barber, 133. 
Chair stuff, 153. 

Chestnut Hill, named for its chestnut-trees, 15, 17. 
Child, Phinehas, ninety-fifth anniversary of the birth of, 173. 
Church, First, pastors of, and preadiers in, 157, 160, 161. (See Unitarian.) 
Church, Second Congregational, formed, 116; pastors and supplies of, 163, 164; 

preachers of, originating from the town, 165. 
Clap, Mrs. Mary Blake, donations of, for the improvement of the cemetery, thanks of 

the town to, for her gifts, 140, 143; donations of, to the First Church and Society, 

162, 163. 
Clark, Rev. George Faber, installed pastor of First Church, 160. 
Climate, in, 12'-. 
Committee, on the History of Warwick, 7 ; appointed by the General Court to lay out 

original grants, 13 ; to find out the nearest route from Roxbury to this place, 22 : 

to lay out a road to Pequeage, 24. 
Committees chosen, 7, 13, 14, 16, 22, 24, 25, 32, 35, 37, 38, 48-51, 63, 64, 66, 67, 69, 76, 

79, 81, 82, 84-87, 102, loS, 109, 114, 113, 126, 133, 137, 138, 140, 162. 
Common, the, of ten acres, 29 ; lands, laid out into two divisions of seventy-five and 

si.xty acres each, 32. 
Constitution of the State, proposed amendments to, two, only, out of the fourteen pre- 
sented were accepted by the town, 104 ; additional amendments to, acted on, 114, 

116, 117, 125, 128-130. 
Copperas, 121. 



INDEX. 



233 



Cornet band, 154. 

Coniwallis, anecdote in relation to the surrender of, 41. 

County, separate, petitioned for, 66; of Hampshire, respecting a division of, 82, 8S. 

Court, General, grant from, in 1735, of four tracts of land, for townships, each six 
miles square, in the admission of settlers to said territory preference to be given 
to petitioners and descendants of officers and soldiers w^ho served in the expedi- 
tion to Canada in i6go, 12. 

D. 

Daniels, Rev. E. D., pastor of the Baptist Church, 167. 

Davenport, James, a relation of his concerning the British, and the soldiers of the 
Revolution, 41, 42. 

Deaths from 1807 to 184^, 214-221 ; from 1847 to 1S72, 221-226. 

Delegate to amend the Constitution of Massachusetts, 104. 

Delegates to the congress at NorthamiJton, 45. 

Democratic party formerly in the ascendency, a change since, 11,9. 

Diseases, in. 

Districts, school, 86. 

Dog-tax, discharged by one day's work on the highways for each dog, 86 ; for benefit 
of the library, 140. 

Dudley, William, Esq., proprietor's clerk in 1736, 14. 

Dysentery, malignant, 159. 

E. 
Earth, red, 122. 

Electors of President and Vice-President voted for, the first time, 80. 

Embargo, memorial to the President of the United States for the repeal of the, 92, 93. 

Episcopalian minister who originated from Warwick, 168. 

Erving's Grant, 15. 

Exports, III. 

F. 
Fairs, 150, 162. 

Families or settlers, thirty-seven of them located on the first division of lots, 31. 
Farms, 119; first ones of one hundred and fifty acres each, 17. 
Farrar, Rev. C, pastor of the Baptist Church, 167. 
Fay, Moses, had " Hobson's choice" of pews in meeting-house, 77. 
Fay, Rev.L , pastor of the Baptist Church, 166. 
Field farm, of four hundred acres, 16. 
Fifty-acre lots, owners of in 1737, when the first plan of the township was made, also 

in 1761, and in 1872, 1S4, 185. 
Fireplaces, old-fashioned, 21. 
Firestone, 122. 

Fisk Cemetery, 133, 134 ; soldiers' monument erected in, 146, 147. 
Fitzwilliam, N. H., soldiers' monument made of granite from tlie quarry in, 147. 
Flour hill, 17, 18, 173; why so called, 18. 
Fort, the only one built in the town, 27 ; Lot, 27. 
Franklin Glass Manufiicturing Company, account of, 94-97. 
Freestone, 122. 

Fund for the support of Rev. Samuel Reed as minister, 80. 
Funeral carriage, and a house for the same, provided, 82, 94, 109. 
Funerals, public, of Lemuel Scott and Henry G. Mallard, 129. 



234 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

G. 

Gale, David, killed a catamount, 22. 

Gallop, Samuel, petitions the General Court for land, ir^ consideration of his services 
in the Canada expedition of 1690, 14. 

Gardner, Capt. Andrew, in Canada expedition, 14. 

Gardner's Canada, so called, now Warwick, 24. 

Gilbert, Job, surveyor, laid ont sixty-two lots of land, of over fourteen acres each, 
being the fifth and last division, 39. 

Glass Ci mpany (See Franklin.) 

Goldsbnry, Rev John, 6 ; one of the committee to have charge of the history of the 
town, 7. 

Goldsbury, Capt. John, representative to the Gener.d Court, instructions assigned 
him, 67, 68 ; chosen a justice of the peace, 70. 

Gould, Thomas, had first choice in the psws of the then new meeting-house, 17S6, 77. 

Grace brook, 20. 

Graves, Elder J. M., minister of the Baptist Church, i65. 

Great farm, 16. 

Grist-mill, voted in 1759, to build one, and a committee chosen to select the spot for 
it, 28 ; built on Black brook, 31. 

Groton, part of a leaf of an account-book found there, about sixty miles from War- 
wick, taken thence by the tornado, 107. 

Grout, Howe, and Garfield carried into captivity, 26. 

Guideposts, the first erected by law, 84. 

H. 

H.MLSTORM, destructive one described, 170-173. 

Hall, Dr. Kbenezer, originator of the Glass Manufacturing Company in town, 94. 

Hastings, Miss Mary Ann, of Framingham, Mass., legacy of, to the First Church and 
Society, 163. 

Hatch, Rev. Roger C, pastor of the Second Congregational Church, 163; de.nth 
of, 163. 

Hats, palm-leaf, manufactured, in. 

Hay, 119, 149 ; and other articles, the prices of, fixed by a committee of the town, 63. 

Hearse, 82, 94, 109. 

Hedge, Elisha, his donation, 87, SS. 

Hedge, Rev. Lemuel, of the Firgt Church, ordained, 28, 113; votes for his salary, 28, 
29 ; liberty given him to lay out a hundred acres of land in one place, near the 
meeting-house, 29 ; answer to the call of the committee for settlement, 30 ; agree- 
ment with, for his salary, 35; difficulties with, 50, 51 ; death of, 62. 

Highways, forty pounds raised to repair them, 36. 

Hills, or high ridges of land, selected for the first settlements, 15. 

Hix, Elder, his delusions and disgraceful exit from the town, 59-61. 

Hodge, Elder Levi, pastor of the Baptist Church, 165 ; death of, i56. 

Home lots, laid out, to contain not less than fifty, nor more than sixty acres, began to 
be numbered in the south-west part of the town, 14, 15. 

Horses, the town voted three thousand one hundred pounds to pay for, for the Conti- 
nental service, 65. 

House, eighteen feet square, and seven feet stud, at the least, to be built by each set- 
tler or grantee, 13. 



INDEX. 235 

I. 

Incorpokation of the town, 132. 

Indebtedness of the town, 129 

Independence, national, the town votes unanimously for it, 54. 

Indian c.ipitivities, in 1755 and 1756, 26; corn, 119; mortars, 123 ; kettle, 148. 

Inhabitants, general character of, iii; decreased, 119; more than one-twentieth of 

them seventy years of age and upwards, 227. 
Instructions, from the town to their first representative in the General Assembly of 

the Province, 52, 53 ; to their representative in the General Court, 68. 
Iron ore, 120-122; forge, 121. 

J. 

Jarvis, James, of Roxbury, first meeting of the proprietors of the township after- 
wards Warwick, held at tlie house of, in lys'^, 14. 
Johnson and his company, 16. 
Jones, Naluun, 7; donor of land, 13S; boot manufactory established by, 152. 

K. 
Kelton Corner, 20. 

Kelton, Enoch, land-surveyor, 20 ; his wife confined fifty years to her bed, 20. 
Kingsley, Rev. S. S., pastor of the baptist church, 167. 
Knob, Uennetl's, 21. 



Lafayette, shoes and stocUlni's presented by him to our soldiers, 42. 

Land sold at auction in 1761, for about four cents and three mills per acre, 32. 

Lands, filth and last division of, laid out, 38. 

Langiey, Capt. Samuel, agreement of, to build a new meeting-house, 71-75 ; his dwell- 
ing-house destroyed by fire, and the pews and doors, nearly finished, of the meet- 
ing-house were there consumed, 77. 

Lawyer in town, 118, 192. 

Lead, 122. 

Leather, 152. 

Leonard, Moses, what is now the north part of the burying -ground given by him to 
the town, 67. 

Leonard, Mrs. Sarah Dlake, notice of, 164, 227. 

Lesurc, Mrs. Hannah, aged 101 years, anecdote and death of, 135. 

Lesure, Samuel, sen., a soldier of the Revolution, 135. 

Library, public, money appropriated for, 137; town voted to accept of it, 139; five 
trustees of, chosen, 140, 141 ; money appropriated for the enlargement of, 142 ; 
report of condition of, in 1872, 229. 

Life, loss of, at tornado in Warwick in 1821, 106. 

Light Infantry of the town, 125, 153; chartered, and officers of, 153. 

Locke, Ebenezer, delays building a saw-mill through fear of Indian depredations, 
25, 26. 

Longevity, iii, 112, 124, 198, igg, 226, 227. 

Lots, second division of, laid out in 1757, 16. 

Lumber, 119, 151. 



236 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

M. 

McKiM, Col., present of a bell from, 130. 

Manufactures, 151. 

Marriages and intentions of marrias;e, list of.'from 1S06 to 1S44, 206-214. 

Meeting-house, to be tliirty-five feet long, and thirty wide, with nineteen-foot posts, 
24 ; site for it first selected, 24 ; raised in 1756, in another place, 26 ; four pounds 
voted to enclose it, 27 ; standing uncovered two years after, 28 ; voted to finish 
it, 32, 35 ; agreement witli Capt. Samuel Langley to build a new one, 71, 161 ; 
struck by lightning, 161; new one described, J15, 116; repairs on, 161-163 ; con- 
cerning it, 90, 91, no, 115. 

Members of the church, and worthy citizens of the old school, alluded to, 159. 

Methodists, 112. 

Military companies, two in town, a line established between them, Si. 

Militia, 92; officers chosen, 47; enrolled, 129. 

Mineral productions, 120, 148. 

Minister, first settled, to have one share or a sixty-third part of the original township, 
12 ; eighteen pounds raised to defray the Charge of one on probation, 28. 

Ministers intown, 112, 113, 157, 160, 161, 163-168. 

Ministry, for the use of, one sixty-third part of the territory in the township, 12 ; 
lands sold, 81 ; in relation to the, 97, loi, 102. 

Miry brook, ig. 

Money, voted for Mr. Hedge's settlement in the ministry, 28; paper, depreciated, 
vote concerning, 56 ; voted to pay for horses used in the Continental service, 65 ; 
raised for town expenses, 118; to aid the families of volunteers, 130; expended 
on account of the war, 145, 146. 

Monument, Soldiers', 146 ; a soldier killed at the raising of, 132. 

Monuments, Stone, on the town lines, 129. 

Morse's brook, 20; pond, 19, 20. 

Mount Grace, so named from a child of Mrs. Rowlandson, buried near the foot of it, 
ig; its height, 123. 

N. 

New.all, Samuel, one of the petitioners for the territory (now Warwick), 12, 14; 
authorized by the General Court, in June, 1736, to call the first meeting of the 
proprietors, 14. 

Noon houses and stables to be built on the meeting-house common if requested by 
the inhabitants, 79. 

O. 

Oats. 119. 

Old fort, 27. 

Orange, the town of, 16, 129: in part formed from Warwick, 67; district of (then 
South Warwick), joins with the town of Warwick in the choice of a representa- 
tive to the General Court, 69. 

P. 

Packard, Jacob, chosen a delegate to attend a convention at Hatfield called to de- 
vise means to stay the Shays rebellion, in 1786, 71. 
Padanaram, ig. 
Pails, water, 152. 
Paine, Esq., services at General Court in getting the town incorporated, 34. 



INDEX. 237 

Paper currency, Hepreciatioii uf, 56, 62, 64. 

Park, public, 137-139 

Party feelings strong, 88-90 

Pasture lands, 119. , 

Patriotic votes, and movements of the town, 41-47, $2-$$, S^i 59- 

Paupers, first mentioned, 36,37; the inhabitants to keep them on town farm, 125- 

127; case, 128; expenses of, 134. 
Peaked End, 19. 
Pequeage, 15. 

Perambulating the town lines, first record of, 79. 
Petition to the General Court for town incorporation, 32 ; for a new county, 34, 66 ; for 

redress of grievances, 63. 
Pews in the Unitarian meeting-house, owners of and prices, 116. 
• Physicians, iiS, 192, 199, 203, 204. 
Pierce, Daniel, donor to the Baptist Church, 167. 

Poetry, 168, — by Hon. Jonathan Blake, Warwick, 177: Sunday-school celebration,. 
178; dedication-hymn for the new Unitarian Church in Warwick, 179; dedica- 
tion-hymn, 180; lines to be sung at a donation party, iSi : lines of condolence. 
1S2. 
Poetry by Elder John Shepardson, —reflections on the tornado of 1821, iSS. 
Poetry by Susie E. Barber, — thi Rebel Bell, igo, igi. 
Poetry by Miss M. A. Reed, — Hymn of Welcome, 205, 206. 

Pomeroy, Lieut. Josiah, chosen delegate to attend a convention at Northampton, to 
state the prices of the necessaries of life, 63; Medad, Dr., 15: notice of, 204; 
lines repeated by him, 204. 
Pomeroy's Pond, 19. 
Population in i860 and 1863, 132. 
Postmasters, 199, 203. 

Pound, to be built of wood, underpinned with stones, 84 ; new ones, 97, 114 
Powder-magazine to be built, 102. 

Preachers, summary of those who originated from the town, 168. 
Prohibition of the sale of ale, porter, and beer, 141. 

Proprietors, meeting first held in Roxbury, Sept. 22, 1736. and after till 1761, 14: 
twenty shillings each, paid by the sixty, to defray the expense of laying out the 
home lots, 14 ; first meeting of, in the meeting-house, 30 ; last vote on record 
of, 40. 
Province Land, now Royalston, 15. 

R. 
Railroad, the want of one, 120. 
Rainstorms, 172, 173. 

Rawson, Mrs Hannah, first town-school teacher, 38. 
Recruits for the war, 131. 

Reed, Abigail, report of a committee in favor of, 100, 101. 

Reed, Rev. Samuel, the second minister of the town, ordained, 63; invited to beconve 
the Town's minister, instead of the Society's, 82 ; his answer accepting the invi- 
tation, S3 ; salary of, increased, 86 ; death of, 94. 
Regimental orders, 186; men detached, 1S6, 187. 
Report on the library, to be printed, 143. 
Reports, 100, loi, 103, 126, 133, 134, 140, 142 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Representative, none chosen in 17S3, on account of, as alleged, the extreme poverty 
of ihe town, 6g. 

Representatives chosen 86, 87, 91, 192, 195, 196, 199. 

Residents of Warwick over seventy years of age, ig8, 227. 

Rich, Lieut. Thomas, first representative from the town to meet the General Assem- 
bly of the Province at Watertown in 1776, 51 ; instructions to, 52, 53, 55. 

Ro.tds, the first on record, laid out, 35 ; the first accepted, 36; important vote about, 
39; seventy-six miles in town, all of them surveyed by Jonathan Blake, jun., 124. 

Rock, shelving, of a large size, 148. 

Rnwlandson, Mrs., and her daughter Grace, 19. 

Rdxbury, or Gardner's Canada, now Warwick, 14. 

Rye. iig. 

S. 

Salt, from Boston, for the inhabitants, 51 ; apportioned by General Court, 56. 
Siwmill, in 1753, voted fifty pounds to build one, 24; delay in building it for fear of 

Indians, 25, 26; set a-going in 1759, 58; stood on Black Brook, 31. 
.Sawmills, 120, 151. 

.School, first, at the expense of the town, 37, 38 ; ten pounds voted to support it a part 
of the year, 37 ; Mrs. Hannah Rawson the teacher, 38 ; districts, first division 
of, 48 ; nine formed in the town,6g : defined anew, 114 ; bounded, 117 ; land sold, 
8i ; money, 86: separated from the ministerial, 114; committee, 108,200-202; se- 
lect one, 156. 

.Schools, one of the sixty-three shares in the township, for the benefit of, 12. 

Schools and schoolhouses, 86, loi, 102, loS, 128, 137, 142, 156. 
Scott's brook, 20. 

Scott, Samuel, his house to be fortified, 27. 

Selectmen, 37. 193, 194, 196, 197, igg, 200; imprisoned, 78. 

Settlers, original, to be admitted, to be sixty in number, and to have one share each, 
of the township, 12, 13: to be on the premise^;, to have a house eighteen feet 
square, and seven feet stud, and six .acres of land brought to, 13 ; bonds required 
of. penalty twenty pounds, 13; estates to be forfeited to the Province within five 
years, in case of non-fulfilment of terms, 14 ; e.trly, 124. 

Severance farm, of two hundred acres, 16. 

Sharp, Capt. Robert, moderator of the first meeting of the proprietors, 14. 

Shays rebellion, 70. 

Sheomet, Indian name of the surrounding country, 200. 

Shepardson, Elder John, minister of the Baptist Church, i''i6 ; death of, 166. 

Skunks Baron, 19. 

Smith, Rev. Preserved, called to settle, g; ; his answer, gS, gg ; ordained, 99, 157 : 
half-century discourse of, 15S. 

Soil, III. 

Soldiers, bounty paid to, for six months' service, 64, 65 ; and soMiers' families, money 
for the s'.ip!)ort of. 136; monume.it to, erected by the town, 146. 

South Warwick, called the district of Orange, 6g. 

Spiritualism, 16!?. 

Spooner, Samuel W., a delegate to the convention for amending the Constitution of 
the State, in 1853, ig'^. 

State Constitution, non-acceptance of, 57, 64. 

Stave and ot'.ier mills, 152. 



INDEX. 



239 



Stockings for the soldiers, knit by a centenarian, 136. 

Straw- braiding, iii. 

Stronj;, Caleb, voted for on the part of the toivn for County Register, 57. 

Survey of the town, 124. 

T. 

Tannery, 152. 

Taylor, Dr. Amos, physician over forty years, 204. 

IMeitoa, Tno n u, of Djrchijter, a petitio.ier tor a tract of land for services in the 
Canada expedition of 1690, 12. 

Tilton, Abraham, and others who served in the expedition to Canada, petitions Gen- 
eral Court, in 1735, for land, which was granted, 12. 

Timber on Town Farm to be disposed of, 137. 

Tornado, a destructive one described, 104-ioS; lines concerning it, 1S8. 

Town, meetmg, the first, 33 ; plan made by Jonathan Blake, jun , 124; farm 126, 
127; warrants posted, 128; officers, 132, 192; clerks, 193, 196, 202, 203; treasur- 
er, 203. 

Training-field, laid out, 29. 

Trees, 119; set out in the burying-ground, no. 

Trustees of the Library, 140. 

Tully brook, 20 ; river, 20. 

U. 

Unitarian Church, First Congregational, 157; plan of the interior of, with owners 

and prices of pews, 116. 
Unitarian preachers originating from the town, 161. 
Uiiiversalist Society, incorporated, 97, 118, 16S ; ministers of, and those who originated 

from the place, 168. 

V. 

Valuation of the town in i860 and in 1S65, 132. 

Volunteers for the war, 131. 

Vote, for numbering the people, 56; against adopting the constitution laid before the 

people, 57 ; to pay three yeais'-men in the service, 65 ; to raise men and beef for 

the army, 65. 
Votes, patriotic ones, in 1774, 44. 

W. 

War of the rebellion, the town lost twenty-six men in, 132 ; their names inscribed on 
the Soldiers' Monument, 189 ; names of those from the town who entered it in 
the service of the country, i8g. 

War of 1812-14, men enlisted in, 185. 

Warned out of town, all who were not inhabitants, 63. 

Warwick, History of, read before Lyceum, 4, 9; committee on, 7; town of, appro- 
priating money for the publication of, 8 ; territory of, one of four grants, each six 
miles square, granted by the General Court in 1735, each town laid out in sixty- 
three equal shares, one each for the first settled minister, the ministry, the schools 
and sixty settlers, 12-14; charges of laying out the township, and admitting set- 
tlers, defrayed by the Province, 13 ; first called Ro.xbury, or Gardner's Canada, 
14; contained twenty-three thousand acres of land, exclusive of the Great Farm 
of sixteen hundred acres, and the Severance and the field farms, 16, in; wav 
from, to Northfield, 1740, Deacon Davis to mark it out, 23; town of, incorporated 



240 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Feb 17, 1763, 32; name of, probably originated from Warwick in England, or 
from Guy, Earl of Warwick, 33 ; first town-meeting in, 33 ; first town-ofl5cers 
chosen, 33, 34; names of owners or occupiers of houses in, in 1798, 228, 229. 

Water of the town feeds three rivers, — Miller's, Ashuelot, and Connecticut, 124. 

W.iy, public, m.xrked out through Pequeage, now Athol, to Xorthfield, 23. 

Wheat, iig. 

Wildcats, thirty pounds bounty for killing them, 85. 

Willard, Rev. William A P., ordained pastor of first church, 160. 

Williams, Sa nuel, representative to the Provincial Congress at Concord, 46 ; at Cam- 
bridge, at Watertown, 49. 

Wolves, voted to pay a bounty of twenty pounds per head on, 5S ; vote concerning, 64. 
Wood, for fuel, 152. 



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3477 



